Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the expiration of ECOWAS’s deadline in Niger, inconsequential Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and political turmoil in Pakistan.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the expiration of ECOWAS’s deadline in Niger, inconsequential Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, and political turmoil in Pakistan.
Niger’s coup leaders had one week to relinquish power and reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or else face military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). At midnight on Sunday, that deadline expired without Bazoum being reinstated. Now, Niger and its neighbors are preparing for possible war—and ECOWAS is questioning whether issuing its unprecedented threat was a smart idea to begin with.
On Sunday, Niger’s junta government—which calls itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP)—sent troop reinforcements to the capital, Niamey, and closed Niger’s airspace to brace for ECOWAS’s potential invasion. It also called on the nation’s citizens to defend the country. “Niger’s armed forces and all our defense and security forces, backed by the unfailing support of our people, are ready to defend the integrity of our territory,” said CNSP spokesperson Amadou Abdramane. Yet, as of Monday afternoon, there was no sign of an ECOWAS military deployment underway.
The debate over how to respond to Niger’s coup has divided ECOWAS. Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which are run by their own junta-led governments, dispatched a delegation to Niger on Monday to support the coup leaders’ efforts. Both West African countries had initially warned ECOWAS that any military intervention in Niger would be deemed a “declaration of war” against their own nations. Guinea, which experienced a military coup in 2021, has also sided with Niger’s junta leaders. However, all four countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and now Niger—have been suspended from the regional bloc until they return to democratic rule, which means they do not get a say in whether military intervention occurs.
On the other side is Nigeria, which shares a long border with Niger. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who currently serves as the bloc’s chair, has led the call for ECOWAS to intervene militarily in the country. However, the Nigerian Senate has pushed back on approving Tinubu’s request for military deployment to Niger. Senegal has also pledged its support if an intervention happens.
ECOWAS heads of state are expected to meet on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, for another emergency session to discuss next steps. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea will likely not be in attendance. But all eyes will be watching to see whether ECOWAS ultimately decides to follow through on its threat or stall for time and pursue further diplomacy.
Tuesday, Aug. 8, to Wednesday, Aug. 9: Brazil hosts leaders of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization.
Wednesday, Aug. 9: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif plans to dissolve the National Assembly.
Related posts
Thursday. Aug. 10: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena meet in Washington.
Leaders of ECOWAS hold a summit to discuss the coup in Niger.
India’s Central Bank decides whether to alter interest rates.
Saturday, Aug. 12: Pakistan’s current National Assembly term expires.
Sunday, Aug. 13: Argentina holds primary presidential elections.
Elusive peace. Two days of peace talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine concluded in Saudi Arabia on Monday—with few tangible results. No concrete steps to stop the fighting or reverse Moscow’s territorial gains were made. And infighting among the summit’s participants—which notably did not include Russia—continued after Chinese representatives pushed to make establishing a cease-fire a precursor to peace negotiations. That’s something Ukraine and other Western allies have rejected, saying it would solidify the Kremlin’s territorial wins.
However, Andriy Yermak, chief of staff for the Ukrainian president’s office, praised Saudi Arabia’s summit, which more than 40 countries attended. Kyiv particularly lauded the creation of working groups to address Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace formula.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials are working to secure Zelensky’s safety after foiling an alleged assassination attempt on Monday. The suspect, a woman said to have been passing intelligence to the Kremlin on the Ukrainian president’s whereabouts, was caught “red-handed,” according to a statement by Kyiv. She could face up to 12 years in prison.
Political turmoil. Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison on Saturday for failing to properly declare money he earned from selling gifts given to him by foreign dignitaries—just one of more than 100 cases brought against him since his removal from office in April 2022 via a no-confidence vote. Khan immediately condemned the verdict, calling it politically motivated, and called for nationwide protests.
But turmoil in Pakistani politics this month appears to just be beginning. On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that he will dissolve the National Assembly on Aug. 9, just a few days before his term is set to end. “The rest is in the hands of Allah the almighty,” he said. “After that, an interim government will take over, and elections will be held.” Regional experts worry that Sharif will delay elections, which can be held no later than mid-November, to account for new census data approved on Saturday.
Maritime mayhem. The Philippines condemned China’s Coast Guard on Saturday for firing a water cannon at a Philippine ship in the South China Sea the same day. The United States quickly followed the Philippines’ lead, warning that “an armed attack on Philippine public vessels, aircraft, and armed forces—including those of its Coast Guard in the South China Sea—would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments” to the Philippines under the two countries’ mutual defense treaty. Australia, Japan, Canada, and Germany all also denounced China’s actions.
If you think airplane food and layovers are a hassle when traveling internationally, just imagine flying with a predatory animal. Passengers aboard an Iraqi Airways flight out of Dubai on Friday faced that nightmare scenario when a bear escaped from its crate in the plane’s cargo hold, delaying the flight’s takeoff. Luckily, no one was injured. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an investigation into the bear’s jailbreak on Saturday, but Iraqi Airways has been quick to point fingers anywhere but at itself.
