By Emmanuel Onyango
Talks at the African Union headquarters on Monday on the Niger crisis coincided with threats by the military junta to prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for treason.
Those attending the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting were reportedly unable to reach a consensus on how best to address the coup and ended the meeting without a joint communique.
AU previously said it supports West African regional bloc ECOWAS’ decisions on Niger. The West African bloc has threatened to use force to reverse the coup.
However, allies of the Niger junta, notably Mali and Burkina Faso who are also members of ECOWAS, have been adamant that a proposed military intervention to reverse the coup will be a ''declaration of war.''
Some experts say it appears there is a lack of general appetite in the AU peace commission for a regional military action in Niger. Some say, divisions among members of regional bodies have never been so clearer.
Suspend membership
“The reason for the division has to do with the fact that members of the PSC from outside of ECOWAS are against the proposal for military intervention and they would rather apply the rule on suspension of membership,” said Solomon Dersso, who previously chaired AU's human rights body.
“The fact that the PSC did not endorse ECOWAS decision means that ECOWAS proposal on military intervention does not have the support of the wider membership of the AU,” he added.
It’s unclear when the ECOWAS force will deploy but plans have been drawn up for the military action, according to officials.
In response to the threat, Niger’s junta has reportedly warned that they would kill deposed President Mohamed Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempted any military action to restore his rule by force.
Checks and balances
Many Nigeriens are worried about the implication of possible use of force to resolve the crisis and pro-junta supporters have accused ECOWAS of not being in touch with the reality on the ground.
The mutinous soldiers have entrenched themselves in power by forming a new government.
“It is not new for such differences of position to arise in the PSC (Peace and Security Council). In the same way the UN Security Council is affected by differences of views of its members, the PSC also is like that. This is normal for such decision-making bodies,” said Dersso.
“Actually, this shows that there are checks and balances in major continental issues rather than being seen as a negative one for AU.”
As the dilemma over the crisis in Niger continues, humanitarian situation is already worsening in parts of the country and there fears over the potential impact of the crisis on the insecurity the country has been grappling with for years.
Western nations have suspended aid while ECOWAS sanctions have banned the movement of goods between Niger and member states. The junta in Niger said they were ready for dialogue with ECOWAS but condemned the sanctions as unjust.
