Following the threat by African leaders convening in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, under pressure from France and the US to use force in Niger, the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali, which were overthrown and are now independent of Paris, have issued a warning.
Burkina Faso and Mali would consider a military intervention in Niger to constitute a declaration of war. Guinea also supports the assassination plotters.
A joint press release from the governments of Ouagadougou and Bamako ominously declares that a military intervention in Niger to reinstate the elected president Mohamed Bazoum who was toppled in a coup would be seen as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.
In response to the leaders of West Africa's gathering in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, threatening to use force, under diplomatic pressure from Paris and Washington, which see their crucial interests in the region at great risk, the two governments, who were themselves born out of coups, have issued a warning that any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.
The two countries issue a warning that any military action taken against Niger will result in the expulsion of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS and the implementation of self-defense measures in support of the Nigerian military and populace.
They issue dire warnings against a military invasion of Niger, which may destabilize the entire region. They continue by saying they reject the Abuja-decided sanctions against the Nigerian people and government, which are unlawful, illegitimate, and inhumane.
The military junta in Niger was given a week to fully restore constitutional order, or else, according to ECOWAS officials, who did not rule out using force to do so. Additionally, the region's nations decided to halt all business and financial dealings with Niger and to freeze the assets of military leaders implicated in the coup.
Guinea, whose government has also recently come out of a coup, disagreed with the penalties suggested by ECOWAS, including military involvement, and opted not to enact them because they are unjustified and harsh. Conakry, the capital of Guinea, requests that ECOWAS change its mind.