MOSCOW, Aug 11 France supports the decisions of the Economic Community of Western Africa (ECOWAS) regarding the forceful restoration of constitutional order in Niger, the French Foreign Ministry said.
On Thursday, an emergency ECOWAS summit on the situation in Niger was held in Abuja, Nigeria. The organization was reported to have instructed a committee of the Chiefs of Defense Staff to immediately activate reserve forces to restore constitutional order in Niger. Cote d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara said regional leaders had agreed to launch the operation as soon as possible.
«France fully supports the decisions of the ECOWAS summit,» the Foreign Ministry said in a communiqué.
As the Foreign Ministry notes, the summit participants reaffirmed their determination to restore constitutional and democratic order in Niger and achieve an immediate release of President Mohamed Bazum and his family.
Nigerian military in late July announced on national television the removal of President Mohamed Bazum from power. The leaders of most Western countries and the regional organization ECOWAS condemned the coup. In early August, the ECOWAS countries adopted a plan in case of military intervention in Niger.