Standby Force is to intervene in civil wars, not in constitutional changes – Prof Aning

The Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) says the ECOWAS standby force was instituted to respond to civil wars and not to be engaged in eras of constitutional changes within its member states as it seeks to do presently in the wake of the coup in Niger.

Professor Kwesi Aning says there is no conflict or civil war in Niger, therefore the bloc should rather consider using “a graduated set of responses” to resolve the situation.

“The standby force idea was also to respond first and foremost to civil wars and not to constitutional changes or internal political misunderstandings where there is massive bye-in as to what is happening. I mean there’s no conflict in Niger per se.