In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

In retreating from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.. ECOWAS: Dialogue with the leaders of the Nigerien coup is the "basic" of efforts to resolve the crisis

    Thursday, August 10, 2023   No comments

The leaders of West African countries stressed Thursday that they will make negotiations with the military leaders who seized power in Niger the "base" of their efforts to defuse the crisis, in retreat from the threat of military intervention to restore the elected government.

"We prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the basis of our approach," said Nigerian President Paula Tinubu, who is chairing the emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja.

The military council in Niger forms a new transitional government that includes 21 ministers

Today, Thursday, the head of the military council in Niger, Abd al-Rahman Tiani, signed a decree forming a new transitional government, local media reported.

Actoniger reported that Tiani signed the decree forming the transitional government yesterday, Wednesday, which is composed of 21 ministers and includes a small number of military personnel.

On July 27, soldiers in the Nigerien army announced, on state television, the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum, his detention in his residence, the closure of borders and the imposition of a curfew, explaining that they had decided to put an end to the current regime, after the deterioration of the security situation and economic mismanagement in the country.

In response to the military council's move, the Economic Community of West African States "ECOWAS" announced the imposition of sanctions on Niger, including closing its airspace and suspending trade exchanges with it.

For his part, Tianyi rejected these punishments, describing them as illegal, unfair and inhumane.

In early August, the participants in an emergency meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Abuja, adopted a plan in the event of a military intervention in Niger.

After mobilizing a force of 25,000 ECOWAS soldiers for possible intervention in Niger, the military council refused to receive the delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the United Nations.

Coinciding with the announcement of the African crowd of a possible military intervention, the leaders of the military council announced the appointment of Ali Mahman Lamine Zain, an economist and former minister of finance, as prime minister in the country after Bazoum was dismissed due to his allowing foreign interventions in the country.

The military council announced the cancellation of a number of military cooperation agreements with France, in addition to ending the missions of the country's ambassadors to France, the United States, Nigeria and Togo.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the military council's decision to cancel the agreements concluded with it, stressing that it "only recognizes the previous authorities of Muhammad Bazoum" and rejects the decision.

It is noteworthy that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in a statement that his country's government had decided to freeze some "foreign assistance programs" from which the government of Niger benefits.

Likewise, the United States and ECOWAS confirmed that they hoped to reach a diplomatic solution in Niger that would put things back in order.

It is noteworthy that both Mali and Burkina Faso supported the Transitional Military Council in Niger, and declared clearly that "any intervention by the Economic Community of West African States to return Bazoum to power would be tantamount to declaring war on them."

In the same context, Russia believed that foreign intervention would not allow a solution to the crisis in Niger, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that "it is unlikely that the intervention of forces from outside the region will allow the situation to improve."

It is noteworthy that the countries of the European Union began yesterday, Wednesday, to prepare to impose the first sanctions on members of the military council in Niger.

The situation in Niger raises concerns about the future of the country and the region, at a time when it faces increasing security challenges due to the threat of armed groups growing in the Sahel region. It also raises concern in the West, especially France and the United States of America, because the ousted president is considered Paris's first man in the African Sahel countries.

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

Algeria's Lieutenant General Saïd Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of People's National Army, on an official visit to the Russian Federation

    Monday, July 31, 2023   No comments

And the statement of the Ministry of National Defense stated that, "At the invitation of Lieutenant General Sergey Shoigu, Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Said Chanegriha, Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, pays an official visit to the Russian Federation, starting today."

"The visit, which falls within the framework of strengthening cooperation between the People's National Army and the Russian Armed Forces, will enable the two parties to discuss issues of common concern," the statement added.

The visit happens as Algeria’s media outlets reported on increased tension with Morocco, which appears to be using its connections to some Western governments to normalize its occupation of Western Sahara.

The Algerian newspaper, Al-Khabar, accused the UAE of supplying Morocco with a new spying system developed by the Israeli company Quadream, intended to penetrate the phones of officials and journalists in ten countries, as it was installed near the Algerian border, in a detailed report published last Thursday titled “Abu Dhabi.” The capital of confusion,” which is an Algerian slang word meaning “sedition.’

Algerian lawmakers comment on regional security matters: Tensions with Morocco are unprecedented, the return of relations is excluded, and Israel's participation in the US-led African Assad maneuver is provocative

Two Algerian parliamentarians said that restoring relations with Morocco is unlikely, and that they are going through a period of intense tension.

According to their talk, the current tensions are unprecedented in the relations between the two countries in recent years, and they are in contrast to the message of reassurance sent by King Mohammed VI in his last Throne Day speech.

Earlier, King Mohammed VI of Morocco called on Algeria to open the borders between the two brotherly neighboring countries and peoples.

This came during a speech by the King of Morocco to his people, on the occasion of Throne Day, which coincides with the twenty-fourth anniversary of his accession to the throne.

The King of Morocco said, “Our work to serve our people is not limited only to internal issues, but we are also keen to establish strong relations with brotherly and friendly countries, especially neighboring countries, according to a statement that Sputnik obtained a copy of.

"In recent months, many people have been asking about the relations between Morocco and Algeria, which are stable, and we look forward to them being better," he added.

Commenting on what was stated in King Mohammed VI's speech on Algeria, the Algerian parliamentarian, Moussa Kharfi, says that restoring relations with Morocco at the present time is not possible.

Kharfi explained, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the matter is mainly related to relations between Morocco and Israel, as well as the issue of the Sahara.

Pointing out that the failure to settle the Sahara issue excludes the restoration of relations with him.

The Algerian parliamentarian, Riz

kani Suleiman, says that the relations between the two countries are currently farther than ever from the dialogue table.

Adding: “The statements of King Mohammed VI contradict the reality of relations between the two countries, as tension prevails in relations, which the Algerian president described four months ago as having reached the point of no return.”

And he continued, in his interview with “Sputnik”, that the prevailing tension in relations comes against the backdrop of what he describes as “provocations regarding the Sahara issue, as well as with regard to normalization with Israel.”

He believes that Israel's participation in the African Assad maneuver, led by the United States, came within the framework of provocations on the part of Morocco.

And he went on to say, “Algeria severed its relations with Morocco two years ago and prevented Moroccan airlines from passing through Algerian airspace as a response to the amount of evil that it received from Morocco.”

And he added, "Certainly no one benefits from the situation, and we all hope for a better reality for relations, especially for the common denominators that bring the two peoples together."

Earlier, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that severing relations with Morocco was an alternative to war.

On August 24, 2021, Algeria severed its relations with Morocco, after closing the borders between the two countries since 1994 after the “Atlas Asni” hotel bombings in Marrakech, when the late King Hassan II imposed a visa on Algerians to enter the country, which prompted Algeria at the time to close the land borders. Between the two countries, this tension was also perpetuated by the severing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Africa's new and perennial challenges

The African continent is a state of flux as it seeks to adjust to the new multipolar world order. 

Many African leaders attended the Russia-Africa Summit hosted by Putin in Russia this week. This week also saw another military takeover of the government, the removal of the president of Niger.

Algeria will support Niger in case of external military aggression, according to the Algerian publication Intel Kirby.

They reported on the potential invasion of Niger under the leadership of ECOWAS, stating that Algeria will not remain idle while its neighboring country faces an invasion.

There were already unconfirmed reports that the Algerian army has started increasing security measures and raising its level of readiness on the border with Niger.