The Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sent a delegation to Niger Republic with the mandate to expeditiously resolve the current political impasse in the country.
The delegation comprises former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray
The recent coup in Niger has raised concerns and triggered regional tension among member countries of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Going by the resolutions of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government on Tuesday, in Abuja, one thing is clear – war looms in the West African region.
Recalled that political tension was triggered on 28 July, when General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of Niger’s presidential guard, declared himself head of state after the military seized power, and deposed the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
The coup plotters cited rising insecurity and a lack of economic growth as reasons why they seized, stressing that the intervention was necessary to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country.
The news of the coup was met with global outrage and condemnations, as calls were made on ECOWAS, the regional economic and political union comprising 15 West African member states, to step up and strongly respond to the unfolding events in Niger.
On Thursday, the delegation was given a
The action was in line with the resolution reached at the end of the extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS held last weekend in Abuja.
The delegation, headed by Abubakar (Rtd) has left for Niamey on Thursday following a briefing by President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The President has also sent a separate delegation led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria on the Niger crisis.
Briefing the two delegations, President Tinubu charged them to engage all stakeholders robustly with a view to doing whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for the purposes of African peace and development rather than a move to adopt the geopolitical positions of other nations.
“We don’t want to hold brief for anybody. Our concern is democracy and the peace of the region,” the President said.
Speaking after the meeting, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) said the delegation would meet the coup leaders in Niger to present the demands of the ECOWAS leadership.
Both leaders of the two missions expressed optimism on the outcome of the assignments.
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