Strongly opposed to a military intervention in Niger that could plunge Africa into a major crisis, Algeria is seeking mediation to promote a resolution of the current impasse without armed confrontation. As a result, the Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, has sent his Foreign Affairs Minister on a tour of Nigeria, Benin and Ghana.
An announcement made by the ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Minister Ahmed Attaf, “mandated by President Tebboune, begins working visits to Nigeria, Benin, and Ghana”. The announcement also specified that the diplomat will engage in “consultations on the crisis in Niger and how to address it” with his counterparts from those countries “who belong to the Economic Community of West African States”.
Considering the current situation in neighbouring Mali, currently facing a security crisis due to the expansion of jihadism in the Sahel that was a consequence of external military intervention in Libya, Algeria has refused to open a third front in another of its neighbours, which could pose a direct threat to its own stability. The country shares a vast 1000km-long border with Niger. On August 6, the Algerian president stated his objection to the deployment of a military force in the Sahelian country, insisting that his country would not back such moves.
“There won’t be any solution without us.” We are the first concerned,” he had said during an interview broadcasted by national television. “In what situations are the countries that have experienced military intervention today?” “The Algerian head of state had asked before adding, “Look where Libya is, Syria,” he had hammered.
Algeria’s position echoes the views of a growing number of countries in West Africa as well who see a military intervention as creating more problems than it solves. Recently, the African Union (AU), after a heated debate at a meeting organised by the Peace and Security Council (PSC), rejected the use of military force in resolving the situation in Niger.
