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On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu held a meeting at the Aso Villa with Omar Touray, the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State.
The President’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, was also present during the meeting convened to discuss the coup that occurred in the neighboring Niger Republic.
Over the weekend, Abdulsalami led a delegation from ECOWAS to Niger, engaging in “final” negotiations aimed at restoring power to the deposed President, Mohamed Bazoum.
In his role as ECOWAS chairperson, Abdulsalami provided a comprehensive briefing to Tinubu regarding the intricacies of the discussions with the leaders of the junta.
Following his deliberations with Tinubu on Tuesday, the envoy expressed optimism that diplomatic channels will prove effective in resolving the political turmoil within Niger Republic, without necessitating the deployment of military interventions.
Abdulsalami characterized the gatherings in Niger Republic as productive.
The leader of the coup, Abdourahamane Tiani, had announced that the junta would transition to civilian governance within a span of three years, a proposition that ECOWAS dismissed.
Concurrently, the African Union has taken the step of suspending Niger Republic due to the ongoing circumstances.
On July 26, military officers overthrew Bazoum, leading the West African regional coalition ECOWAS to issue a warning about potential use of force to restore his presidency..
ECOWAS has reached a consensus to activate a “standby force” as a final recourse to reinstate democracy in Niger. While steadfast in its readiness to take action, the organization maintains its commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution.
The recent coup has amplified global concerns about the Sahel region, where escalating jihadist insurgencies with ties to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group are prevalent.
Niger becomes the fourth West African nation, following Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, to experience a coup since 2020.
The authorities in Burkina Faso and Mali have issued statements asserting that any military intervention in their neighboring nation would be viewed as a serious provocation tantamount to a “declaration of war” against their respective countries.
This recent coup marks the fifth instance of such political upheaval in Niger’s history, since the landlocked nation achieved independence from France in 1960, exacerbating its existing economic challenges.
The election of Bazoum in 2021 was a historic event, ushering in the potential for Niger’s inaugural peaceful transfer of political power. However, following the coup, Bazoum and his family have been confined to the president’s official residence, prompting mounting international apprehension regarding their detention conditions.
