On September 13, in Gaya, Niger’s closest city to Benin, near its southern border, a massive throng cheers troops as a convoy passes through. Cheers can be heard along with anti-France and anti-ECOWAS chants.
Niamey has fortified its fortifications on the border after the 15-nation group decided to mobilise a “standby force” to intervene in Niger and impose democratic governance by force.
El Hadj Moussa Ibra, a resident, is calm.
Here in Gaya we are calm and relaxed,” he said over the week-end. “We have already witnessed such a deployment in the past, I refer you to 1963-1964, at the time there were tenions between us and Benin because of the été island issue. So it’s kind of déjà vu, same country, and yet another deployment in Gaya.”
The convoy was deployed on Wesnesday (Sep. 13), one day after Niger denounced a military cooperation deal with Benin.
The ruling junta is at odds with its neighbours fom the Economic community of west African states.
“The deployment of the Nigerien military in the department of Gaya has reassured residents, including myself,” civil society actor Hamada Oussani said.
“Just recently people were worrierd as they listened to the news and read reports on social media saying that the number of troops and the military material would be insufficient. We were surprised to see the military headed to Gaya to deploy and stay at the border we share with Benin one one hand and with Nigeria on another hand. People felt reassured that the state had taken all necesarry dispositions to be able to deal with whatever comes next.”
Niger’s military rulers who’ve deposed president Bazoum have accused Benin of authorizing “the stationing of soldiers and war materials in view of an aggression” they say is desired by France in collaboration with certain ECOWAS countries.
