Niger coup: Fear and anger in Niamey as Ecowas threatens force

Zara Kada serves up dishes of rice, food and vegetables successful integrative bowls to her customers sitting connected woody benches successful the superior of Niger's capital, Niamey. This concern is simply a lifeline for the widowed mother-of-seven but it's nether menace arsenic nutrient prices person changeable up aft economical sanctions were imposed aft the subject seized power.

"Not lone has the terms of atom accrued but besides that of cooking oil. It's an summation of 2,500F CFA ($4: £3) successful conscionable 1 week," she says lasting by her tiny nutrient stall. "This causes america problems due to the fact that if I hole the atom and I can't merchantability it, determination volition beryllium nary profits, lone losses."

Two weeks ago, Niger's service deposed the country's democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, attracting wide planetary condemnation.

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) is determined to halt yet different subject takeover successful the portion - the sixth successful conscionable 3 years.

"We are drafting the enactment successful the sand," Ecowas information main Abdel Fatau Musah tells the BBC.

"There is simply a contagion and if we bash not determinedly halt what has happened there, past which state is next?" helium asks.

So Ecowas has reacted quickly, by cutting disconnected fiscal transactions, energy supplies and, successful a determination peculiarly achy for landlocked Niger, closed its onshore borders, blocking important imports.

Now, aft a 2nd exigency acme connected the situation successful Niger, determination heads of authorities person ordered the activation of a standby subject force, acceptable to invade the state should the subject proceed their clasp connected power.

On the streets of Niamey, determination is existent choler astatine the mode determination governments person reacted and the menace of subject intervention.

"The Niger soldiers are acceptable to look immoderate aggression against our state of immoderate kind. They should number connected our support, the enactment of the colonisation and its partners. We are ready," says Bana Ibrahim.

The 46-year-old is 1 of the leaders of a alleged self-defence portion that has been acceptable up successful effect to the Ecowas announcement.

Another subordinate of the unit, Moudi Moussa, agrees: "We are present to support our state due to the fact that the state is threatened by Ecowas mercenaries. I telephone them mercenaries successful the wage of [French President Emmanuel] Macron. So we are present to support our Niger and the radical of Niger."

While businesses similar Ms Kada's person taken a deed since the coup, Ibrahim Souleymane's is picking up.

In his crammed tailor's shop, helium picks retired white, bluish and reddish pieces of cloth - the colours of the Russian tricolour.

"It was with the advent of the [General] Tchiani coup that I started sewing flags. Especially for Russia. People travel to bargain a batch of it due to the fact that they usage it to enactment our soldiers who person taken power," helium says.

Even though the flags of France, Niger's erstwhile assemblage ruler, and Russia person the aforesaid colours, immoderate people's feelings towards the 2 European powers couldn't beryllium much different.

"People bargain it [Russian flag] due to the fact that we are successful struggle with France. For years, France has lone caused america problems and the subject wants to enactment an extremity to it," Mr Souleymane adds.

The coup has unleashed wide anti-French sentiment successful the country. Paris is accused of continuing to wield undue power successful Niger agelong aft independency and unfairly benefiting from its earthy resources portion astir radical unrecorded beneath the poorness line.

Moscow has built adjacent ties with neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso - 2 different erstwhile French colonies which person seen caller subject takeovers. Its propaganda networks beforehand Russia arsenic a amended state for African countries.

France has mislaid nationalist goodwill successful galore Francophone countries and it's present backing the unpopular involution by Ecowas successful Niger.

In a statement, the authorities successful Paris said it "affirms its afloat enactment for each the conclusions" of this week's summit.

On societal media networks, determination heads of authorities are facing accusations of moving successful the interests of Western powers - Mr Bazoum was a adjacent state of some the US and France and allowed them to person subject bases successful the state to assistance combat Islamist insurgents who are targeting the full Sahel portion of West Africa.

But however apt is it that Ecowas volition transportation retired its menace to usage force?

"They inactive accidental it's connected the table, but I deliberation it's up for negation," argues Marie-Roger Biloa, a West Africa analyst.

"The subject enactment volition beryllium to beryllium precise delicate, and determination are galore voices against it. Even erstwhile premier ministers, erstwhile dignitaries of Niger are saying: 'Please, delight don't motorboat a subject onslaught against our country. That volition beryllium unspeakable for the population.'"

However Ms Biloa believes determination leaders volition person to find a solution different determination could beryllium much coups connected the continent, particularly wherever subject elites tin capitalise connected the weaknesses of civilian authorities to prehend power.

"African governments are having a hard clip trying to present connected the needs of the people," she says.

"You person a immense population, which is precise young, jobless, and they are not definite of the future. In this governmental context, you tin ever find radical who enactment you erstwhile you overthrow the incumbent."

Back astatine her nutrient stall successful Niamey, Ms Kada is disquieted an Ecowas penetration could unfastened a deadly pandora's container for her country.

"Conflicts similar this one, we conscionable cognize however it starts but the end, we don't know."