Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe James Stavridis warned on Sunday that the conflict in Niger amid a looming deadline for coup leaders to cede power could potentially lead to a “full-blown war in Africa.”
The Sunday deadline established by a coalition of West African nations for Niger to return to democratic rule is set to expire. The demand has been shunned by fellow military-led countries Burkina Faso and Mali, who have jointly warned that any intervention would amount to a declaration of war.
While speaking on X, formally known as Twitter, Stavridis asked on Sunday, “Will this lead to a full-blown war in Africa? It certainly has the potential to do so, and would be a significant and devastating event.”
On Friday, defense chiefs from the West African nations finalized an intervention plan and urged militaries to ready resources after negotiations with Niger’s military junta stalled, the Associated Press reported.
On Sunday, security and intelligence expert Oluseyi Adetayo told CNN that “preparation is already in top gear, there’s no doubt about that and the military are on standby. To my own understanding, Nigeria is not going to back down and will do whatever it takes to return Niger to civilian rule.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on X on Friday that “The provision of United States assistance to the government of Niger depends on democratic governance and respect for constitutional order. We are pausing certain foreign assistance programs, and will continue to review our assistance as the situation evolves.”
