By Edward McAllister and Anait Miridzhanian
DAKAR (Reuters) -West African nations on Friday worked on plans for a possible military intervention in Niger following the army coup there although they have not given up the hope of a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
The Nigerien army ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years and an action that raised the spectre of more unrest in an impoverished region already battling an Islamist insurgency.
The regional bloc ECOWAS on Thursday ordered the activation of a standby force for possible use against the junta, saying it still hoped for a peaceful restoration of democracy but all options including military action were on the table.
It was not clear how big the force would be, if it would actually invade, and which countries would contribute.
ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was expected to start putting together a force of thousands of troops after the junta had defied an Aug. 6 deadline to reinstate Bazoum. The junta has said it would defend the country against any foreign attack.
After a summit of its heads of state in the Nigerian capital Abuja, the bloc pledged to enforce sanctions, travel bans and asset freezes on the junta, and activate a regional force.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara said he considered the detention of Bazoum "a terrorist act" and promised to supply a battalion of troops to the force.
Human Rights Watch said it had spoken to Bazoum this week and that the ousted president, who is being held captive by the junta with his wife and son, had told them that his family's treatment in custody was "inhuman and cruel".
"My son is sick, has a serious heart condition, and needs to see a doctor," HRW quoted Bazoum as telling them. "They’ve refused to let him get medical treatment."
HRW said Bazoum told them he had had no electricity since Aug. 2 and had not been allowed to see family and friends who wanted to bring them supplies.
Despite being one of the world's poorest countries,
landlocked Niger, which is more than twice the size of France,
is the world's seventh-largest producer of uranium, a crucial
material for nuclear power and in cancer treatments.
Until the coup, it was also an ally for the West after Mali and others turned against former colonial power France in favour of closer ties with Russia.
U.S., French, German and Italian troops are stationed in Niger as part of the fight against the long-running Islamist insurgency that spread across the Sahel region.
France said late on Thursday that it fully backed all the conclusions of the ECOWAS meeting. But it stayed clear of outlining any concrete support it could give to any potential intervention.
Reiterating support for the efforts by ECOWAS, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would hold the junta accountable for the safety of Bazoum and his family. The EU also called for his immediate release.
"President Bazoum has dedicated his life to improve conditions for the people of Niger. Nothing justifies such a treatment," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
(Writing by Edward McAllister and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
