Senior Research Fellow and lecturer at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), Dr Ken Ahorsu is questioning the preparedness of ECOWAS for the aftermath of its military intervention in Niger. 

According to him, military interventions come with adverse consequences. 

He also highlighted the economic instability of the  ECOWAS member states, hence his worry that they might not have enough resources to deal with the destruction that military intervention will bring.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, August 19, the academic said, “With the crisis going on in Ukraine and Russia, already, NATO forces and European Union are pledging money for reconstruction. So the question is that how ready is ECOWAS in order to correct any damage that will come about in Niger.”

Dr Ahorsu also queried the source of funding for ECOWAS’ armed intervention in Niger.

He noted that ECOWAS' position appeared to support the persistent speculation that they were under the influence of Western nations and were "doing the dirty job" of the European nations.

Dr Ahorsu said ECOWAS has dealt with several coups in the past and its approach then was not military intervention, therefore, he wondered why the Nigerien coup is being treated differently from previous ones.

Subsequently, he attributed the problematic stance of ECOWAS in regard to the Nigerien coup to the Chairman of ECOWAS, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He explained that “with the appointment of Tinubu as the appointed head of the ECOWAS, he sounded so bellicose to coup d’etat, and that set the stage.

"So once there was a coup d’etat, he had to act in a manner to show that what he has said he will be able to deliver.”

Dr Ahorsu stressed that the conduct of the ECOWAS chairman puts the credibility of ECOWAS at stake.

Moreover, the lecturer contended that military intervention was not the best cause of approach for the situation in Niger. 

Background

ECOWAS Chiefs of Defense Staff met for two days [August 17-18] in Accra to discuss the deployment of a standby force in Niger to restore constitutional order.

On the second and final day of the meeting, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, addressed the gathering, shedding light on the potential military dimension of addressing the turmoil.

Mr Musah disclosed that all member states of ECOWAS who were present at the meeting have committed elements, equipment, and their own resources to undertake the operation.

He added that the ECOWAS was ready to intervene in the ongoing crisis in Niger.

“We are ready to go any time the order is given. The D-day is also decided, which we are not going to disclose. There will be no more meetings of the Chief of the defence staff.

"If there will be, it will be probably in the course of the operation, if there is the need to adjust the operation.”

Meanwhile, Mali and Burkina Faso on Friday reportedly dispatched warplanes to Niger in a show of support against any potential military action by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).