ECOWAS Delegation Arrives Niger For Dialogue

A delegation from the West African bloc ECOWAS got to Niger on Saturday for dialogue with the military officers who have seized power, sources close to the organisation and ousted President Mohamed Bazoum revealed.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last resort to restore democracy in Niger after generals toppled and detained Bazoum on July 26.

But it states that it favours dialogue to defuse the crisis.

A plane carrying the delegation landed in the capital Niamey at around 1:00 pm (1200 GMT), a day after the bloc’s military chiefs said they were set to intervene to reinstate Bazoum.

Niger’s governing military council confirmed the arrival of the ECOWAS representatives, headed by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar.

A previous ECOWAS delegation led by Abubakar earlier this month tried and failed to meet Bazoum and the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani.

A source close to the latest delegation said it would send “a message of firmness” to the army officers and have a meeting with Bazoum.

“We are ready to go any time the order is given,” Abdel-Fatau Musah, an ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs and security, said on Friday after the military chiefs’ meeting.

“The D-Day is also decided.”

ECOWAS leaders say they have to act after Niger became the fourth West African nation since 2020 to suffer a coup, following Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.