Leader of Niger coup tells Nigerian delegation to lift sanctions
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Niger's Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani urging ECOWAS to lift imposed sanctions on Niamey.
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Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, center first row, poses for a group photo with other West African leaders before an ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. (AP)
The head of Niger's new leadership, Ali Lamine Zeine, claimed on Sunday that the leader of the junta who took power in Niger, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, met with a delegation of religious leaders from Nigeria and told them about the need to ease the sanctions put on Niamey.
"The head of the country instructed them [religious leaders] to explain everything that we would like to see in the coming days, that is, the lifting of these measures, which are inhumane ... and unacceptable," Zeine was quoted as saying by the RTN broadcaster.
He also noted that the new authorities in Niger are open to mediation efforts to normalize the situation.
On July 26, Niger underwent a coup. President Mohamed Bazoum was detained and deposed by his guard, which was commanded by Tchiani. The country's borders were closed by the caretaker National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, notwithstanding security accords with its former colonizer, France.
Following the coup, the Economic Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS) suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze the assets of the rebels, prohibited commercial flights to and from the nation, and closed all borders.
The organization also offered the coup leaders one week to reinstate Bazoum and restore order, implying that military intervention might be necessary otherwise. On that note, the ultimatum expired on Sunday.
The organization, after a second emergency summit on Thursday, announced the activation of a multinational standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger. France and the United States have expressed support for ECOWAS' decision.
Earlier last month, the military junta in Niger was given a one-week ultimatum to cede power by West African states who warned that they still did not rule out the "use of force" and imposed immediate financial sanctions.
The 15-nation ECOWAS called for the "immediate release and reinstatement" of elected President Mohamed Bazoum, held by the military.
In a statement after its summit in Abuja, Nigeria, ECOWAS said, "In the event, the authorities' demands are not met within one week (ECOWAS will) take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Such measures may include the use of force. For this effect, the chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately."
