After a “tense” and “endless” meeting, according to diplomats, the African Union PASC, the body responsible for deciding on issues relating to conflict resolution, refused the endorse the use of force with reference to the Niger crisis .
As time goes by, the existing state of affairs that is prevailing in Niamey, since the military took over on July 26, seems to impose itself and there is growing doubt into the minds of their opponents. While the junta led by General Tiani does not bend neither to the economic and financial sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), nor to the threats of the use of force agitated by some countries in the region, divisions are widening between African countries on the attitude to adopt. A “tense”, “endless”, “more than ten hours” meeting, according to several diplomats present, of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU), the body responsible for deciding on issues of conflict resolution, revealed this.
According to several sources, during this meeting, which was held on Monday August 14, the CPS decided to reject the use of force against the Nigerien junta.. At the same time, the PSC chose to temporarily suspend Niger from all AU activities.
This AU position dissociates itself from ECOWAS which, even if it continues to favor “dialogue”, has ordered the “immediate activation of its standby force”, and it considerably weakens the West African organization. Launching a military offensive rejected by the AU “would be an unprecedented contradiction, according to Paul-Simon Handy, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies. ECOWAS will find it difficult to use force without the approval of the AU”, even as several voices question the legality of such an operation.
“While recalling our zero tolerance policy towards unconstitutional changes of government, we have chosen not to support a military intervention in Niger, because it could lead to a bloodbath and cause more damages than currently exist,” an AU diplomat said.
Source: Le Monde
