Just In: Niger Forms Military Alliance With 2 Powerful Countries Amid ECOWAS threat

• The Niger coup leaders have entered an alliance with Burkina Faso and Mali, who are under the control of coup leaders
• General Abdourahamane Tiani, took over the leadership of Niger through a coup.
• The alliance came when the ECOWAS slammed several sanctions on the country while mounting pressure on the junta leader to step down and embrace democracy.

Niamey, Niger - The Niger military junta has entered into an alliance with two neighbouring countries, Burkina Faso and Mali, who are also under military rule.

General Abdourahamane Tiani, the junta leader and the former chief of the brigade guard, overthrew his democratically elected boss, President Mohamed Bazoum, through a coup and detained him, DW Reported.

Foreign ministers of the three countries made the announcement at a joint press conference in Niamey, the capital of the Niger Republic, on Friday, August 25.

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The agreement between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali

Tiani has agreed that armed forces from Burkina Faso and Mali can intervene in his country's territory in case of attack. This was disclosed by the foreign ministries of the three countries at a press conference on Thursday, August 23,

The agreement allowed the two military-governed countries to provide military assistance to the Niger Republic in case of any military intervention against the coup leader, Tiani.

Mali and Burkina Faso have had a similar agreement in the past.

Part of the agreement was that the three countries would take joint action against the terrorist group threatening their lands and secure their borders.

After Tiani ousted Bazoum in the July 26 coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) activated its standby force.

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It threatened to use force if peaceful negotiation did not restore democratic rule and constitutional order in the country.

Catholic Bishops Conference warns against plan by ECOWAS to invade Niger

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a separate story that the Catholic Bishops Conference has kicked against a plan by ECOWAS to invade the junta in Niger.

The Conference said in a statement dated August 24, 2023, that an invasion would escalate the security situation in the sub-region.

The statement signed by Most Rev Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, urged ECOWAS to use diplomacy to deal with the Niger crisis.

Source: Legit.ng