ECOWAS calls Niger's three-year transition plan "a joke"
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The statements come amid a political climate rife with tensions as the bloc is mulling a military intervention.
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ECOWAS commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah, centre, speaks during a press briefing following the Extraordinary Meeting of the ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of the Defense Staff, Accra, Ghana, August 18, 2023. (AP)
The bloc of West African nations (ECOWAS) has rejected on Monday a call by Niger's coup leaders to launch a three-year transition back to democracy.
ECOWAS commissioner for politics and security Abdel-Fatau Musah described the proposal of a three-year transition as "a joke" and said the bloc would "never accept it".
"We want constitutional order to be restored as soon as possible," he said on Monday. "Military action is not off the table," he warned.
Read more: ECOWAS delegation leaves Niger after failed talks with junta
The statements come amid a political climate rife with tensions as the bloc is mulling a military intervention.
The new military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani said earlier in the day that he will hold off a return to civilian rule within three years after army officers toppled President Mohamed Bazoum last month.
The announcement was issued after a delegation from ECOWAS left Niger after failing to reach an agreement with the junta on reinstating ousted President Mohammad Bazoum.
