You Have One Week To Restore Bazoum As President – ECOWAS Orders Niger Military

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given the military in Niger Republic a seven-day ultimatum to reinstate President Muhammed Bazoum to office.

The decision was reached during an extraordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, chaired by ECOWAS Chairman, President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The meeting was convened in response to the recent developments in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by members of his presidential guards for several days. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Commander of the country’s Presidential Guards, had declared himself the Head of a Transitional Government on Friday.

During the session, ECOWAS reaffirmed its recognition of Bazoum as the legitimate President of Niger and announced measures to address the situation. The Authority imposed land border closures and suspended all commercial flights between Niger Republic and ECOWAS member states.

President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, declared that all Chiefs of Defense Staff of member states would convene for an emergency meeting to devise strategies for a possible military operation to restore Bazoum to office. Touray emphasized that ECOWAS would take all necessary measures, including the use of force, to restore constitutional order in Niger Republic.

Regarding economic sanctions, ECOWAS approved the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger Republic.

It also ordered the freeze of assets of the Republic of Niger in the West African Central Bank and the assets of the Niger State and state enterprises in commercial banks. Furthermore, all financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions, especially EBID, were suspended.

Prominent leaders from various ECOWAS member states attended the meeting, including President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Macky Sall of Senegal, Patrice Talon of Benin, and Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.

The Transitional President of Chad, Mahamat Deby, was also present at the opening but left before the meeting began. Cape Verde and Liberia were represented by their Foreign Affairs Ministers. The decisions made by ECOWAS are aimed at restoring constitutional order in Niger and ensuring a peaceful resolution to the ongoing crisis. (CONTINUE READING HERE)