According to Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and publicity, military intervention is “not off the table” while ECOWAS works to restore democracy in the Niger Republic.
Ngelale made the announcement during a Tuesday night interview with Al Jazeera.
He said this in response to reports that the junta in Niger had ignored an ECOWAS deadline.
The ECOWAS deadline, which had been set for Sunday, has passed without the junta’s compliance.
Ngelala argued that the commission’s decision to impose further penalties on Niger demonstrates its commitment to exploring diplomatic solutions before turning to force.
“We are not accepting the facile narrative that ‘either you must go in or you’re not serious, or you remain out and you’re not serious,’ as certain international media have decided to do.
Our goal is to restore civilian democratic rule in Niger Republic under the leadership of President Bazoum, who was democratically elected by the country’s citizens, and we believe there are a number of tools at our disposal to help us get there.
Whether it occurs tomorrow, next week, or next month is uncertain, but rest certain that the United States will use every tool at its disposal, including military force, to make it happen.
While Ngelale did not rule out military action, he did say that it remains an option.
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