Algeria Against Settling Niger Crisis by Force — Top Diplomat

"Any military intervention in Niger will have serious consequences both for Niger and the region," Ahmed Attaf stressed

RABAT, August 29. /TASS/. A military intervention in Niger will have serious consequences not only for the country but for the entire region, Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said on Tuesday.

"We oppose the use of force to settle the crisis in Niger and are ready to make our contribution to its political settlement," the Al Jazeera television channel quoted him as saying.

"Any military intervention in Niger will have serious consequences both for Niger and the region," he stressed.

Algeria has a 950-kilometer-long shared border with Niger.

In late July, a group of military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. They then established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, CNSP), headed by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to run the country. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended Niger’s membership in the organization and imposed tough sanctions on the country. Apart from that, ECOWAS leaders demanded the rebels set Bazoum free and warned about a military resolution of the situation if he is not released.

ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs Abdel-Fatau Musah said after a meeting of the bloc’s military chiefs in Ghana on August 18 that the exact date for the intervention in Niger had been determined, but it is yet to be officially announced.