ECOWAS military chiefs to meet in Accra, Ghana over Niger crisis
Barely 24 hours after the leaders of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, met in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, military chiefs from the bloc have announced that they will be meeting on Saturday in Ghana, to discuss the military coup in Niger.
The meeting will take place in Accra and it has been suggested that the military chiefs will use the opportunity to commence plans for a military intervention.
The summit follows the order of the ECOWAS leaders to the military chiefs to prepare for the activation of a standby force, during a meeting in Nigeria on Thursday.
Earlier, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noted that the regional power will continue to push for diplomacy and dialogue, to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“In reaffirming our relentless commitment to democracy, human rights, and the well-being of the people of Niger, it is crucial that we prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach.
“We must engage all parties involved, including the coup leaders, in earnest discussions to convince them to relinquish power and reinstate President Bazoum.
“It is our duty to exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger.”
Despite this, the ECOWAS has made a U-turn and decided to activate military force to restore civilian rule as the ultimatum issued to the junta to release the ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, expired.
The coup leaders have,however, threatened to kill Bazoum, should ECOWAS go ahead with its proposed military intervention.
