The leader of the Niger Republic junta, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani has told the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to have a rethink over its planned attack on his country, saying it won’t be a walk in the park.
Tchiani in a broadcast Saturday night also accused the regional body of planning to invade Niger with the aid of a foreign power.
He described the sanctions imposed on Niger by ECOWAS as illegal and inhuman.
Tchiani added that he had no ambition to stay in office beyond three years and announced a 30-day period of what he called national dialogue to draw up a framework to lay the foundation for “a new constitutional life.”
He stated: “If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think.”
Meanwhile, the representatives of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger met separately on Saturday in Niamey to discuss a joint defence strategy in response to the planned ECOWAS military intervention.
The meeting was to decide on “concrete measures” in case ECOWAS chooses to “escalate a war,” according to local media reports .
Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency on Saturday quoted the Defense Minister of Burkina Faso, Kassim Coulibaly, as threatening that his country would withdraw its membership of ECOWAS “because it considers the organization’s policy towards Niger illogical.”
“We expect aggression. In any case, our head of state said: We are ready for aggression, (and) we support Niger. Burkina Faso is even ready to withdraw from ECOWAS because it considers the organisation’s policy towards Niger illogical.”