The African Union announced on Tuesday that it has suspended Niger until civilian government was reinstated and that it would consider the effects of any armed involvement in the unstable Sahel country.
Following significant disagreements on the subject, the Peace and Security Council “requests the AU Commission to undertake an assessment of the economic, social, and security implications of deploying a standby force in Niger and report back to the Council,” the group said.
President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by army officers on July 26, which prompted the West African regional group ECOWAS to threaten to use force to restore him.
As a last resort, ECOWAS decided to mobilize a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger.
Even as it pursues the possibility of a diplomatic resolution, it has stated that it is prepared to take action.
The AU met last week to discuss the problem despite differing opinions within the bloc regarding any potential military action.
International concern for the Sahel, which is experiencing escalating jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organization, has increased as a result of the coup.
Niger, after Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, is the fourth country in West Africa to experience a coup since 2020.
A “declaration of war” against either Burkina Faso or Mali, according to the juntas in those nations, would result from any military action in those nations.
The coup is the fifth in Niger’s history since the impoverished landlocked state gained independence from France in 1960.
Bazoum’s election in 2021 was a landmark, opening the way to the country’s first peaceful transition of power.
He has been held with his family at the president’s official residence since the coup, with growing international concern over his conditions in detention.
