Algeria makes first move to intervene in Niger stand off
Despite calls from Algeria aimed at the West to not intervene in the Niger coup and an assumption that Algeria would not involve itself, Algiers had already intervened from the beginning, reports can reveal.
Algeria’s Foreign Minister, Ahmed Attaf was “mandated” to go on a diplomatic tour to West African countries following last month’s coup in Niger.
The Algerian Foreign Ministry stated on X (formerly known as Twitter) that Attaf was mandated by the President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, to visit West African states, Benin, Ghana and Nigeria, according to The Arab Weekly and agencies, August 24.
The main purpose of the visit to the region was to find diplomatic solutions following a military coup in late July, resulting in Niger, a country that was already in turmoil prior to the coup, descending into further chaos.
Algeria stated they would refrain from intervening forcefully to reinstate Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, the democratically elected President who was forcefully ousted by a junta.
READ: Algeria warns against “foreign” intervention in Niger
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this month, “Algeria cautions, calls for prudence and restraint in the face of aspirations of foreign military intervention, which unfortunately appear to be real and feasible options, while being factors that only complicate and exacerbate the current crisis.”
This is despite the ECOWAS bloc sending out a warning to Niger, saying that they would intervene militarily if Bazoum was not reinstated.
Algeria’s Foreign Minister will “hold consultations on the crisis in Niger and ways of dealing with it” when visiting the three ECOWAS countries.
The visit to the respective countres has the potential for Algeria (Africa’s largest country geographically) to be a leader in the continent in general, when discussing solutions relating to the West African country’s recent turbulent scenes.
Not only has Niger been a victim of five military coups as well as failed coup attempts since its independence from France, the fragile nation has also seen a rise in violent extremist groups with links to Al Qaeda and ISIS over the past decade.
Niger gained its independence from France in 1960 and many ECOWAS countries are now ditching them as an ally due to previous French imperialism, instead cosying up to the Kremlin.
THE ARAB WEEKLY
