From Victor Osula, Abuja
Rising from their second extraordinary meeting in a week on the festering crisis in Niger Republic, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, on Thursday, in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, reinstated commitment to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic through diplomacy of miliary intervention.
The summit was a follow-up to the one held on Sunday, July 31, 2023. It reviewed ongoing developments in Niger Republic.
ECOWAS had in its last Summit, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military Junta in Niger to restore constitutional authority in the country. But in defiance, the coup leaders led by General Abdulrahamane Tchiani had formed a 21-man cabinet on Wednesday.
Addressing the summiteers on Thursday, chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu, said the leaders reinstated all the measures earlier agreed to in the July 31 Summit, adding that no option is off the table including the use of force as the last resort in resolving the Niger Republic crisis.
“Regrettably, the seven-day ultimatum we issued during the first summit has not yielded the desired outcome, Tinubu said, adding that “We must engage all the parties involved, including the coup leaders, in earnest discussions to convince them to relinguish power and reinstate President Bazoum.”
“It is our duty to exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger. “We prioritise diplomatic negotiations of our approach.”
A communiqué read at the end of the Summit, however, condemned the coup and the condition on under which ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, is being held by the military junta.
The communiqué said in part, “That ECOWAS underscore its continued commitment to the restoration of constitutional order through peaceful means.”
“Direct the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS stand-by force with all its elements immediately.” and “Orders the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
