A delegation from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, have met with Niger Republic’s ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum on Saturday, as they sought a peaceful rather than military solution to the impasse created by the July 26 coup.
The ECOWAS delegation led by former Nigerian leader, Abdulsalami Abubakar the West African representatives met with ousted President Bazoum and some of the senior officers who seized power.
A previous ECOWAS delegation led by Abubakar earlier this month had tried but failed to meet the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani or Bazoum.
Saturday’s visit came after ECOWAS military chiefs announced they were ready to intervene to reinstate the ousted President.
Bazoum has been held with his family at the President’s official residence and still remains under detention with his electricity cut off since the coup.
ECOWAS has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger. But it says it favours dialogue to defuse the crisis.
ECOWAS chair and Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday threatened Niamey with “grave consequences” if the new regime allows Bazoum’s health to worsen, an EU official said.
Niger’s military-appointed Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told The New York Times that Bazoum would not be harmed.
“Nothing will happen to him, because we don’t have a tradition of violence in Niger,” the most senior civilian in the new regime said.
Niger’s new rulers have so far shown little flexibility and warned against an illegal aggression.
Thousands of volunteers turned out in central Niamey on Saturday answering a call to register as civilian auxiliaries who could be mobilised to support the army.
ECOWAS defence chiefs had met this week in the Ghanaian capital, Accra to fine-tune details of a potential military operation to restore Bazoum if ongoing negotiations with coup leaders fail.
Credible News reports that Niger became the fourth West African nation since 2020 to suffer a coup, following Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
The Sahel region is struggling with growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Frustration over the violence has in part prompted the military takeovers.
ECOWAS troops have intervened in other emergencies since 1990, including civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ivory Coast, Benin and Nigeria are expected to contribute troops to a Niger mission.
ECOWAS has already applied trade and financial sanctions on Niger, while France, Germany and the United States have suspended aid programmes.
