Why ECOWAS should rule out military option in Niger

When residents of Niger's capital, Niamey, gathered to protest the coup that ousted President Mohammed Bazoum. [Niger Presidential Office, Facebook]

Since the army-backed ouster late last month of Niger's president Mohamed Bazoum, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has - among other things - been toying with the idea of using force to "restore constitutional order" in the uranium-rich Sahelian nation.

Lately, following a series of meetings in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional leaders have called for the deployment and "activation" of a "standby" military force, though they still insist such action would be a "last resort." Niger joins Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso in a growing list of countries in West Africa - and the Sahel region - that are under military rule lately.