Russia opposed to any armed intervention in Niger

After ECOWAS announced its decision to deploy a “standby force” in Niger, Russia announced that it opposed any military intervention in that country.

The announcement comes after several countries around the world, including the UK, France and the US, said they supported any move by the West African regional bloc, to resolve the crisis in Niger.

“We believe that a military route to resolving the crisis in Niger could lead to a protracted confrontation in this African country as well as to a strong destabilization of the situation in the entire Sahara and Sahel region,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The UN has denounced the “inhuman” conditions of detention of President Bazoum.

ECOWAS chiefs of staff have planned to meet in Ghana on Saturday, two days after their leaders gave the go-ahead for military intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger.