West African countries have rebuffed the proposal made by the leaders of Niger’s coup for a three-year transition to return to democracy. Meanwhile, neighboring nations of the crisis-ridden country are contemplating the possibility of military intervention.

West African nations have rejected a call by Niger’s coup leaders for a three-year transition back to democracy, as the crisis-hit country’s neighbors weigh whether to take military action.

The new military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani has declared he will hold off a return to civilian rule after army officers toppled President Mohamed Bazoum last month.

His announcement came after a delegation from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to reinstate Bazoum, visited Niger in a final diplomatic push.

Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for politics and security, described the proposal of a three-year transition as “a joke” and said the bloc would “never accept it”.

In a televised address on Saturday, Tiani accused ECOWAS of preparing to attack Niger by setting up an occupying force in collaboration with a foreign army, without referencing which country.

ECOWAS leaders say they have to act now that Niger has become the fourth West African nation since 2020 to suffer a coup, following Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.

The bloc has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger.

It has said it is ready to act, although it is still pursuing diplomacy and has given no date or details about any intervention.

On Sunday, several thousand people demonstrated in Niger’s capital in the latest in a string of pro-coup rallies.

The Sahel state’s new military leaders have officially banned demonstrations but in practice, those in support of the coup are permitted.

A convoy of around 300 supply trucks arrived in Niger’s capital Niamey on Monday as Burkina Faso came to the aid of its sanctions-hit neighbor.

The UN’s food agency warned last week that sanctions and border closures linked to the political crisis were “greatly affecting the supply of vital foods and medical supplies into Niger”.

Meanwhile the UN children’s fund has said the crisis in Niger is amplifying risks for millions of vulnerable children, adding “a heavy burden to an already dire humanitarian landscape.”

Khalil Wakim, with AFP