The military coup in Niger received considerable media coverage in late July, as the Presidential Guard deposed of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum. This coup received significant support from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea, who like Niger, were previously under French colonial influence.

These neighboring countries have since joined a military coalition with Niger, with backing from Algeria, amid growing fears of a potential intervention by the Western-backed states in the ECOWAS coalition. Is a military confronation on the horizon? Or can this be resolved through diplomacy?

The host of The MO Manila Chan sits down with West Africa expert Koffi Kouakou to find the answers to these questions and what the future holds for Niger and the countries of the Sahel.