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The 14th Emir of Kano, Sanusi Mohammed, recently engaged in a meeting with the military leaders of Niger who orchestrated a coup just two weeks prior.
The ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria revealed this information following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday. During the meeting, he provided an update on his ongoing mediation efforts aimed at resolving the political turmoil in the neighboring nation.
His meeting with the Niger coup leaders comes after unsuccessful efforts by the representatives of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), African Union, and a top US diplomat.
According to Sanusi, the crisis in Niger is not one to leave to the government alone as Nigerians and Nigeriens need to be involved in finding a solution.
He said, “I came to brief him on the details of my discussions with leaders of Niger. We’ll continue to do our best to bring the two parties together to improve understanding.
This is the moment for collective public diplomacy – a responsibility beyond governments alone. Every Nigerian and Nigerien must engage to discover an African-oriented resolution, one tailored for Niger and Nigeria, and ultimately, a solution beneficial to all of humanity.”
He emphasized that he took the initiative to promote peace independently, leveraging his personal connections. He emphasized his commitment to ongoing leadership efforts, stating, “I want to clarify that I wasn’t dispatched by the government. While government officials were informed of my intentions, the decision to go was entirely mine. I utilized my personal network to facilitate the process, and I remain dedicated to giving my utmost. It is incumbent upon me, as a leader, to fulfill this responsibility,” clarified Sanusi.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS leaders are scheduled to convene on Thursday to address the ongoing crisis in Niger. The nation’s military rulers have disregarded the ultimatum to relinquish power, thereby risking potential military intervention.
In its inaugural formal response following Niger’s failure to comply with the Sunday deadline for the restoration of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the 15-member bloc declared, “An additional extraordinary summit concerning the political situation in the Republic of Niger shall be convened by the ECOWAS heads of state.”
The summit is slated to take place in Abuja, Nigeria, whose President currently holds the position of ECOWAS chairman.
