The guests of the episode of "Min Washington" ruled out the use of the military option in Niger, but expected - in return - that more diplomatic and economic steps will be resorted to to pressure the military who seized power in this country.

Former U.S. ambassador to Sudan Michael Carney said the use of military force in Niger would be a logistically complex process, so diplomatic and economic steps would be resorted to, including economic sanctions.

He stressed that the US position on what happened in Niger is very close to the position of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), considering that the latter's threat to use military force aims to pressure the putschists.

ECOWAS had confirmed its readiness to force the return of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power, even if it required military intervention, and gave the putschists a week to return to their barracks.

Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa David Shen said there are currently 1100,<> US troops in Niger, but that this force will not be used for any military action in that country.

He added – in his speech to the episode (2023/8/3) of the program "From Washington" – that hopes are pinned in the current period on the diplomatic side in order to return the civilian government in Niger to power, and if this is not achieved, Washington may withdraw its soldiers from there.

It is noteworthy that the ambassador of Niger to the United States Kyari Lehman Tengiri had praised – in previous statements to Al Jazeera – the position of the US administration on the events that took place in his country, and expressed his satisfaction with this position.

Chen said ECOWAS had erred in setting a timetable for sending a military force to Niger, questioning the organization's ability to fulfill its pledge, which would reduce its position, the spokesman said.

Writer and expert on African affairs Bakri Jacques al-Madani went in the same direction, saying that Washington has no desire to use military force against the putschists in Niger, and that diplomatic solutions have not yet been exhausted.

Al-Madani spoke about diplomatic and economic means that can be used to return the ousted president to power, including sanctions and preventing the granting of visas to those responsible for the coup, stressing that there are no opportunities to use any form of military force, adding that the United States is likely not to participate in any military action that ECOWAS may take.

He also suggested that ECOWAS may use part of its joint forces if diplomatic and economic routes are exhausted without achieving the desired results.

Russian role

Regarding the Russian role in the African continent, Bakri al-Madani said that Russia does not have strategic thinking in dealing with Africa, and is using the continent in its competition and conflict with the United States and the West.

US guest David Shen said that Russia plays one role in the continent, which is to supply its countries with weapons, stressing that Washington will continue to play its main role there.

For his part, the former US ambassador to Sudan explained to the program "From Washington" that Russia is unable to develop systems in Africa, and there is the use of the Russian Wagner military group in order to steal metal materials such as gold in Sudan, pointing to Wagner's relationship with the Rapid Support Forces and its commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti).

He added that Sudan did not benefit from Wagner's role, but from the Rapid Support Forces, which he said had made a lot of money.