The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Summit, which was held in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, with the coup agenda in Niger, ended.
According to the decision taken at the summit, ECOWAS instructed the defense ministers of the member states to prepare and deploy their reserve forces “for the establishment of constitutional order” in Niger.
Information on exactly where the reserve forces will be stationed was not shared.
The reserve forces of ECOWAS, which entered Ivory Coast and Liberia in 2003, Guinea Bissau in 2012 and Mali in 2013 as a peacekeeping force and trying to maintain stability, consist of soldiers sent by member states in times of crisis.
In order for ECOWAS forces to intervene in any country, they must take a joint decision or be assigned by the African Union.
ECOWAS, which does not have a ready force, can recruit a “task force” of approximately 2,750 people and a “main force” of 3,750 from member countries.
The Provident Forces, composed of civilians, police and soldiers, have training centers in Mali, Nigeria and Ghana.