“Anyone over 18 can register and the list will be given to the junta to call upon people if needed. The junta is not involved, but is aware of the initiative.”
Just about three weeks after mutinous soldiers overthrew the democratically elected president of the nation, in Niamey, the capital city, residents are urging the widespread enlistment of volunteers to support the military amidst an escalating danger from the West African regional organization, ECOWAS.
The regional organization has issued a warning of potential military intervention unless the junta restores ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. ECOWAS has already put its “standby force” into action, aiming to reestablish stability in Niger after the junta’s failure to meet the deadline for Bazoum’s reinstatement and release.
Led by a coalition of local residents in Niamey, the initiative seeks to mobilize tens of thousands of volunteers nationwide under the banner of “Volunteers for the Defense of Niger.” This effort aims to offer a multifaceted response, encompassing combat roles, medical assistance, and specialized technical and engineering support, among other functions.
One of the initiative’s founders, Amsarou Bako, emphasized to The Associated Press on Tuesday that these volunteers stand ready to aid the junta if required.
“It’s an eventuality. We need to be ready whenever it happens,” he said. The recruitment drive will launch Saturday in Niamey as well as in cities where invasion forces might enter, such as near the borders with Nigeria and Benin, two countries, which have said they would participate in an intervention.
Anticipated to convene this week, ECOWAS defense chiefs are set to hold their first meeting since the announcement of the deployment of the “standby” force. The timing and the possibility of an invasion remain uncertain; however, experts in conflict affairs caution that if implemented, the force could likely consist of several thousand troops and lead to grave repercussions.
Niger stood as a notable democratic stronghold within the Sahel region, south of the vast Sahara Desert. Regarded as a key collaborator for Western nations in their endeavor to counter the escalating jihadi violence associated with groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
