The Commissioner for Political Affairs at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ambassador Abdel-Fatal Musah, has said that the sub-regional body does not need express permission from the United Nations (UN) to deploy troops to Niger.

His comment comes on the back of concerns that the United Nations (UN) is not on the same page with ECOWAS in terms of the plans for a military intervention to resolve the coup situation in Niger.

Speaking in an interview with the media at Burma camp on Thursday, August 17, 2023, Ambassador Fatawu Musah stated that the sub-regional body is going to fund the operation itself without seeking external support.

“We [ECOWAS] are faced with asymmetric conflict situation in West Africa, thus terrorism. Chapter seven of our regulations does not even allow for counter-terrorism. This is the environment in which we are operating so, why ask for chapter seven? When ECOWAS went to Liberia, Sierra Leone, we did not ask for Chapter 7; we informed the African Union and the United Nations.

"The request for Chapter 7 is often done when you want to secure resources and access contributions from the UN coffers but the heads of state are saying that we are going to Niger with our own resources. However, for anybody who wants to help us fair enough. The UN has condemned the coup and is supporting the actions of ECOWAS,” he said.

The Commissioner for Political Affairs at ECOWAS added that it is high time the sub-regional body takes serious actions to end the menace of coups in West Africa.

“The fact that we have three successive coups and no muscular approach was applied there, does not mean that we should allow the domino to continue,” he reiterated.

Following the refusal of the military junta in Niger to hand over power to the democratic government, and release detained president, Mohamed Bazoum, discussions are ongoing among members of ECOWAS regarding how to resolve the coup situation in Niger.

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BS/AE