Nigerian President asks Senate to support possible military action against neighbouring Niger

Colombo (News 1st) - Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Friday asked the country's Senate to approve possible military action against neighboring Niger, as the clock ticks down to Sunday's deadline set by West African states for Niger's military leaders to reinstate the civilian president they ousted in last week's coup, Nigerian media reported.

Military chiefs of the 11 nations of the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) that are ruled by democratic governments met for several days this week in Abuja, Nigeria, and announced on Friday that they have drawn up a plan of action.

Nigeria's tough stance came despite the military rulers of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso siding with Niger and warning that military action against Niger would be considered as a declaration of war on their countries as well.

Nigeria is the strongest state in the West African region, both economically and militarily, and has over 230 million of the region's 400 million people. President Tinibu is also currently the Chairman of ECOWAS, which issued the ultimatum to Niger's coup leaders.

Nigeria has an army of 230,000 soldiers while Niger has just 25,000, according to military-related websites. Nigeria's air force has 35 jet combat aircraft, while Niger has only two. Mali and Burkina Faso each have less than 10,000 soldiers, while their air forces lack any jet combat aircraft. However, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso all have less trained and equipped militias to support their armies.

Nigeria, which supplies over 70% of Niger's electricity supply, on Wednesday cut the power supply as part of the economic sanctions laid down by ECOWAS.

Meanwhile, Niger's coup leaders rejected the latest peace mission and refused to meet with the negotiation team led by former Nigerian President General Abdulsalami Abubakar, which landed in the Niger capital Niamey, but returned when the coup leaders refused to meet them. 

Niger's ousted President Mohammed Bazoum wrote an impassioned plea in The Washington Post asking for outside intervention, particularly from the United States, to restore his government, and said he is being held hostage.

On Friday the coup leaders announced that they were ending all military agreements with France, Niger's former colonial power. The French government responded that it considers the agreements to be valid since they were signed by the legitimate civilian government of Niger. France has over 1,000 soldiers and a number of French Air Force aircraft in Niger for ground and air operations against al-Qaeda and ISIL terror groups operating in Niger and neighboring states. The United States also has several bases and 1,500 troops in Niger, notably for the operation of drones for surveillance and attack.

On Thursday the coup leaders recalled Niger's ambassadors to the U.S., France, Nigeria, and another West African country Togo.

An impoverished nation of 25 million people that is heavily dependent on international aid, Niger contains some of the world's largest deposits of Uranium, which are mainly being mined by French companies.

Economic sanctions have quickly been put in place by ECOWAS, including the closing of land and air borders and the cancellation by the Central Bank of West African States of a USD 50 million bond issue for Niger that was scheduled for next Monday. The World Bank has also suspended its assistance programs to Niger.