Members of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, on Sunday, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerien military, headed by the new President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, to restore constitutional order and reinstate ousted President Muhammed Bazoum into office.
This is coming after the African Union (AU) gave the General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Niger’s new leader, 15 days to restore Bazoum to power.
The ultimatum by the subregion followed an extraordinary meeting of leaders of ECOWAS member-states at the State House, Abuja, to discuss the happenings in Niger Republic.
While recognising Bazoum as the legitimate President of the landlocked state, the bloc also imposed land and border closures, suspending all commercial flights between Niger and ECOWAS member states.
Announcing the decision, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said all Chiefs of Defense Staff of the member states will proceed for an emergency meeting to strategise on effective ways to implement a possible military operation to restore Bazoum to office.
He said the ECOWAS will “Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Such measures may include the use of force.
“To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”
Their extraordinary session to discuss the happenings in the Niger Republic began at 12:58 pm at the behest of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.
It came four days after the military coup ousted the administration of Nigerien President, Muhammed Bazoum.
The Street Reporters recalls that on Friday, members of Niger’s Presidential Guard, who perpetrated the coup, named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the country’s new leader.
In his address, Tchiani, who headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, said he was the new “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.”
He said Wednesday’s coup is the military’s response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.
The military also issued a warning about “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention,” saying, “Certain dignitaries…are in thinking of confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”
Tinubu had on Wednesday condemned the coup promising that ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region.
He affirmed that the regional bloc would deploy “all means necessary” to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
The African Union has also given the Tchiani 15 days to restore Bazoum to power.
Present are Presidents Umaro Embaló (Guinea Bissau), Faure Gnassingbé (Togo), Nana Akubo-Addo (Ghana), Patrice Talon (Benin Republic), Alassane Ouattara (Cote d’Ivoire), Adama Barrow (The Gambia) and Macky Sall (Senegal).
Foreign Ministers Luís Tavares of Cabo Verde and Dee-Maxwell Kemayah Sr. of Liberia and Nigerien representatives also attended.
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