The African Union said Tuesday it had suspended Niger until civilian rule in the country is restored and would assess the implications of any armed intervention in the troubled Sahel nation.
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 Council,” the bloc said, following strong differences on the matter.
Army officers toppled President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, prompting the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to threaten to use force to reinstate him.
ECOWAS — the Economic Community of West African States — agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger. He said he was ready to act, even as he continued to harbor hopes of a diplomatic solution.
Last week, the AU held a crisis meeting amid divergent views within the bloc on any military intervention.
The coup has heightened international concern for the Sahel, which faces growing jihadist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
Niger is the fourth country in West Africa since 2020, after Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.
The authorities of Burkina Faso and Mali have stated that any military intervention in their neighbor would be considered a "declaration of war" against their country. It was the fifth coup in Niger's history since the impoverished and landlocked nation gained independence from France in 1960.
The 2021 Bazoum elections mark a turning point, paving the way for the country's first peaceful transfer of power.
He has been held with his family at the official presidential residence since the coup, and there is growing international concern about the conditions of his detention.
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