ECOWAS To Meet After Niger Deadline
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has scheduled an extraordinary summit in two days following the expiration of a deadline to the Niger junta on Sunday, August 6, 2023.
Last week, the bloc issued a week ultimatum for a return to civilian rule following a Military takeover on July 26.
The ECOWAS threatened to intervene and restore power to President Mohamed Bazoum if the military led by Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the former Presidential Guard to the ousted president fails to do it within the timeline.
In a tweet on Monday, the bloc said a meeting with heads of state on the political situation in Niger will be held in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Thursday, August 10.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger.,” a part of the tweet said.
It added, “The ECOWAS Leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the Summit.”
The junta has threatened to react against any move by ECOWAS to restore civilian rule forcefully and has received backing from Burkina Faso and Mali military governments.
On Monday evening, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani reportedly assigned the country’s administrative roles to some persons- most of whom are military personnel.
He is said to have named Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, Niger’s former Finance Minister as Prime Minister in place of Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, who was in Europe during the coup.
BBC reports that he also named Brig Gen Amadou Didilli as the head of the country’s High Authority for Peace Consolidation (HACP); Brig Gen Abou Tague Mahamadou as the inspector general of the army and the national gendarmerie; Col Ibro Amadou Bachirou the private chief of staff of the junta leader; and Lt Col Habibou Assoumane as the commander of the presidential guard.
