On Thursday, a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arrived in Niger Republic to meet with the leaders of the military coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum from office. The delegation, led by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has been tasked with presenting ECOWAS leadership’s demands to the coup leaders.
President Bola Tinubu, who serves as the ECOWAS Chairman, directed the delegates to take any necessary steps to reach a conclusive and peaceful resolution of the situation in Niger. ECOWAS leaders previously issued an ultimatum, ordering the military regime to reinstate elected President Mohamed Bazoum within one week, or face military intervention from ECOWAS member countries.
President Tinubu dispatched a second delegation led by Babagana Kingibe to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria to seek their support in addressing the crisis in Niger. The neighboring countries around Niger are being sought for assistance in resolving the situation.
ECOWAS has already imposed trade and financial sanctions on Niger, and Nigeria has cut off electricity supply to the country. In response to the possibility of military action in Niger, other countries in the region, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea, have warned that such action would be considered a “declaration of war.”
