The Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security at ECOWAS, Dr Abdel-Fatau Musah has clarified that the aim of the regional bloc’s intervention in the Nigerien coup is to fight the junta but not the country.

Admitting that the military is preparing for an intervention, he explained that "military preparations take time,” however “It doesn’t mean that it is imminent."

He emphasised that in the ECOWAS’ discussion of its array of tools for conflict resolution, the word 'war' was never featured.

Dr Musah asserted on JoyNews' Newsfile that "We are not at war with Niger. The whole concept of operation which is being prepared is based on targeted surgical operations in that place… We are at war with the junta, with the CNSP and that is the target of the operation.”

He then urged the populace to take notice of this nuance so that they do not misinterpret the motive of the ECOWAS in their operation.

Dr Musah also disclosed that the perception being put in the media that most Nigerien citizens were in support of the coup was not necessarily true.

“We also have our intelligence, what people are saying about the popularity of the regime and other things. Listen there are foreign powers in West Africa that are cultivating bot farms with artificial comments on social media and other things whipping out a certain narrative," he said on Saturday, August 19, 2023.

The ECOWAS Commissioner also pointed out that military intervention being deployed was never the ECOWAS’ preferred option.

He, however, stated that the intervention of ECOWAS in Niger is to prevent a worsening situation.