Niger ex-Pres. warns against foreign military intervention

Mahamadou Issoufou, the ex-president of Niter, expressed profound concern about "the serious crisis" facing his country since the coup of last July. "I reaffirm that only a negotiated solution will pave the way for a rapid return to a stable democratic order," he wrote on his X account on Sunday. "An external military intervention, the human and material consequences of which are incalculable, will be a source of lasting instability. "Moreover, such intervention has never been a factor of progress for any people anywhere," Issoufou cautioned. He affirmed that resorting to military intervention would be a grave mistake, adding, "I am sure that the ECOWAS Heads of State will draw on their immense wisdom not to make such a mistake." Issoufou, who served as president between April 7, 2011, and April 2, 2021, was referring to recent threats by the Economic Community of West African States to use military force to reinstate ousted President Mohammad Bazoum. Source: Kuwait News Agency