How Might an ECOWAS Military Intervention in Niger Unfold?

ECOWAS also has a stabilization force in Guinea-Bissau where it redeployed some 600 troops from Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Ghana following an attempted coup in February 2022.

In the past, the regional bloc established the ECOMOG peacekeeping mission to help restore order in Liberia and Sierra Leone and it also deployed forces to Ivory Coast in 2003.

What Troops Does ECOWAS Have Available?
An intervention in Niger would rely heavily on Nigeria, which has 223,000 personnel as well as modern fighter jets and armed helicopters.

Not only does Nigeria have the largest army in the region, experts say it makes logistical sense to rely on Nigeria, which shares a 1,600 kilometer (1,000 mile) long border with Niger.

Senegal said on Thursday that it would participate if ECOWAS decides to intervene militarily in Niger. The country’s Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall told journalists in the capital Dakar that “Senegalese soldiers have to go. these coups d’etat must be stopped,” she said.

Several other ECOWAS member states, however, already stated that they would not support the use of force in Niger.

“Aside from our Nigerian neighbor, I don’t think there’s another [ECOWAS member] force because Mauritania doesn’t agree, Algeria doesn’t agree, Mali and Burkina don’t agree either. And Benin isn’t going to attack [Niger],” said Abdoul Moumouni Abass, an expert in the prevention of radicalization.

However, analyst Eguegu pointed out that Nigeria’s army is “bogged down at home” fighting the militant Islamist movement Boko Haram and armed bandits, running operations in 30 of Nigeria’s 36 states. 

This presents a major challenge for Nigerian forces to assemble their true power for such an intervention, he said.

What Are ECOWAS’ Chances of Success?
A military intervention in Niger would be completely different to the situation in The Gambia — the smallest nation on the African mainland — which has a relatively weak army.

Niger is a vast country lying at the heart of the Sahel. Although it’s one of the world’s poorest countries, its troops are experienced fighting jihadists and trained by the United States, which has 1,100 troops stationed in the country, and France, which has around 1,500 forces there.

“The size of Niger, the large number of troops in the Niger army makes things difficult, of course,” said Ivoirian historian and defense analyst Arthur Banga.

“But when you prepare an intervention plan, you do so with all these options in mind, to mobilize in terms of personnel, equipment.”

Then there’s the issue of Mali and Burkina Faso. In a joint statement, both countries warned that any military intervention against Niger’s coup leaders would be considered a “declaration of war” against their nations.

Both countries have military governments which came to power in coups, and both are suspended from ECOWAS decision making bodies as a result.

All this means that while intervention is “very likely,” said Ovigwe Eguegu, “it is actually very high risk … of being a real war.”

Kate Hairsine is a journalist with Deutsche Welle’s Africa department.Bob Barry contributed to this article. This article was edited by Keith Walker, and it is published courtesy of Deutsche Welle (DW).