Africa
ECOWAS calls new meeting over Niger Junta
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called a new meeting to discuss the Niger Republic coup, as the last deadline for the military junta has passed.
President Bola Tinubu, the chairman of ECOWAS, sent a notice of a meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja on Monday.
A notice issued by ECOWAS reads, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger. The Summit will be held in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, 2023.
“The ECOWAS Leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the Summit.”
Remember that in August, the regional body gathered in Abuja and gave a 7-day deadline for the Niger junta to return ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or face penalties, including possibly military involvement?
However, rather than reinstating the deposed Niger leader, the junta severed ties with Nigeria and some other countries sympathetic to Bazoum’s cause.
The military dictatorship, which named Commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the new head of state, has sworn not to yield to foreign pressure.
On Friday, military chiefs from several West African countries announced a plan for possible military action if diplomatic efforts fail.
The chiefs of defence staff from Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cabo Verde, and the Republic of Benin held the meeting in Abuja.
However, the junta warned against foreign involvement and vowed to safeguard Niger’s territorial integrity in the event of any military intervention by ECOWAS.
