This Sunday, August 6 will be the last day of the ultimatum issued by ECOWAS to the Nigerien putschists to give up power. The West African organization threatens the mutineers with military intervention. A major regional power, Nigeria could play a leading role in this operation. The country also holds the presidency of the Cédéo. But in the country, political pressure is strong on the head of state, Bola Tinubu. The Senate has also asked him to favor other options.
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Bola Tinubu had written to senators asking them to approve the ECOWAS resolutions. But the elected officials did not give a blank check to the head of state. Quite the contrary. After several hours of meeting, the Chamber finally asked Bola Tinubu to strengthen the diplomatic and political options to resolve the crisis in Niger.
In its response, the Senate certainly rejected the military coup, but it also shows its reluctance vis-à-vis an armed confrontation.
Already Friday evening, the senators of the North, them, were worried about the repercussions of a military operation. The two countries share 1,500 km of border and the elected representatives of the region had underlined the cultural, religious and linguistic links between the two sides. They had therefore warned against “ resort to force before having exhausted all diplomatic channels adding that an operation would have implications in Nigeria with a possible destabilization of very poor regions already under pressure from armed groups.
Finally, political pressure has further increased on Bola Tinubu with the strong words of the CUPP. On Saturday morning, the largest opposition coalition denounced a military project ” not only unnecessary, but irresponsible “. ” Nigeria cannot afford to waste its dwindling resources and the precious lives of our soldiers. A new front could plunge the fragile economy into an even deeper crisis “, had declared the opponents.