ECOWAS schedules fresh meeting for Thursday over Niger coup as deadline elapses

The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), has scheduled a fresh meeting over the Niger Republic coup, as the deadline earlier set for the military junta, has elapsed.

It would be recalled that ECOWAS had met in Abuja upper week, where a 7-day deadline was issued for the Niger junta to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military intervention.

But, the junta severed ties with Nigeria and some other countries sympathetic to Bazoum’s cause, rather than reinstate the deposed Niger leader.

The military regime, which declared their Commander General, Abdourahamane Tchiani the new head of state, vowed not to bow to outside pressure.

It also warned against foreign intervention, vowing to defend the territorial integrity of Niger.

On Friday, military chiefs of some West African countries said they had agreed on a plan for possible military intervention in the event push for a diplomatic solution failed.

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.

ECOWAS had last week sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with the coupists but their representatives met with the team led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).

On Monday, President Bola Tinubu, who is chairman of ECOWAS, sent a notice of meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.

A statement 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 hold 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.”

The coup leaders have not issued any statement on the deadline yet.