Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin
[ColonelCassad] 1. France refused to take its ambassador out of the country. Yesterday, Niger demanded that the ambassador leave within 48 hours. The ultimatum expires tomorrow. France, meanwhile, continues to prepare military aggression against Niger at the hands of ECOWAS.
2. The army of Niger is on alert, the recruitment of volunteers continues to repel aggression among the civilian population.
3. Burkina Faso and Mali received the go-ahead from the government of Niger to bring their troops into Niger territory to help repel foreign aggression. Burkina Faso and Mali have previously stated that they are ready to provide people and weapons to help Niger.
4. On the territory of Nigeria and Benin, preparations for the intervention of Niger continue. Now there are ongoing attempts to put together an invasion group. The declared grouping of 12,000 people and several hundred pieces of equipment is obviously insufficient.
5. In Niger itself, mass demonstrations are taking place in support of the new government of the military and against foreign intervention. Martial law has been introduced in the country.
6. Most of the local authorities in Niger, who previously hesitated or tried to sit on two chairs, against the backdrop of the threat of intervention, voiced their support for the new military government. In fact, the threat of foreign intervention has accelerated the legitimization of the military junta inside Niger.
7. Along the way, various militants have stepped up on the border between Niger and Mali. The Niger army conducted a successful operation near the border with Mali, killing more than 80 militants, as well as destroying or taking as trophies more than 200 motorcycles and 5 cars.
8. The forces of PMC "Wagner" stationed in the territory of Mali, in the territory of Niger have not yet been observed.
More from regnum.ru
ECOWAS countries offer Niger rebels to meet at neutral location
[Regnum] Countries that are members of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) suggested that the National Council for the Salvation of the Motherland, led by the commander of the Niger Guards, Abdurahman Tchiani, meet in a neutral place. This was announced on August 27 by ECOWAS Commissioner for Politics, Peace and Security Abdel Fatau Musah on the air of Al Jazeera TV channel.
“We invited the leaders of the military council in Niger to meet with us in a neutral place,” said Abdel Fatau Musah.
In addition, the Commissioner noted that ECOWAS asked the military seized power in Niger, as a goodwill gesture, to release the deposed and captured by the rebels, President Mohamed Bazum.
At the same time, the ECOWAS representative explained that the organization was in no hurry to choose a military path to resolve the crisis in Niger, but was interested in resolving the situation as soon as possible.
“We have not seen any concrete steps from the military and will not wait forever,” Abdel Fatau Musah warned.
Previous talks between ECOWAS representatives and the Niger rebels have not been successful. During the meeting, the delegation demanded the immediate return of power to President Mohamed Bazum, who was ousted by the rebels. Members of the military council of Niger rejected this demand.
Earlier , IA Regnum reported that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu , who chairs ECOWAS, said that the organization seeks to resolve the situation in Niger, where the rebels seized power, peacefully, relying on diplomacy. However, the politician indicated that ECOWAS representatives are ready for any possible scenario.
In turn, the Niger Armed Forces switched to maximum readiness mode. Such an order was given to the country's army by the head of the defense headquarters Moussa Salau Barmu. He explained that the decision was made to adequately respond to possible aggression against Niger.