Nigeriens call for war volunteers, Sahel Alliance seeks release of Bazoum

.Putin offers military, technology ties to countries against the West

Nigeriens have called for mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of a growing threat by the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS who insists on tighter sanctions and military invasion if the junta refuses to reinstate the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.

The call for volunteers, spearhead by a group of locals in Niamey, aims to recruit tens of thousands of volunteers from across the country to register for the Volunteers for the Defense of Niger, to fight, assist with medical care, and provide technical and engineering logistics among other functions, in case the junta needs help, Amsarou Bako, one of the founders, said.

“It’s an eventuality. We need to be ready whenever it happens,” he said. The recruitment drive will launch Saturday in Niamey as well as in cities where invasion forces might enter, such as near the borders with Nigeria and Benin, two countries, which have said they would participate in an intervention. Anyone over 18 can register and the list will be given to the junta to call upon people if needed, said Bako. The junta is not involved, but is aware of the initiative, he said.
Meanwhile, the Sahel Alliance has called for immediate release of the ousted President, Bazoum. Sahel Alliance is an international coordination platform for stability and development in G5 Sahel countries: Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.

The German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, in a statement issued in her capacity as President of the General Assembly of Sahel Alliance, said peace, human rights and institutional stability were critical factors in socio-economic development.
read more from article source