Members of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and
Government are meeting at the State House, Abuja, for an extraordinary session
to discuss the happenings in the Niger Republic.
Sunday’s meeting which began at 12:58 pm is at the behest of
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority.
It comes four days after a military coup ousted the
administration of Nigerien President, Muhammed Bazoum.
On Friday, members of Niger’s Presidential Guard who
perpetrated the coup named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the nation’s new
leader.
In his address, Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential
Guard since 2011, said he was the new “president of the National Council for
the Safeguard of the Homeland.”
He said Wednesday’s coup is the military’s response to “the
degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.
The military also issued a warning about “the consequences
that will flow from any foreign military intervention,” saying, “Certain
dignitaries…are in thinking of confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but
the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”
Tinubu had on Wednesday condemned the coup promising that
ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy
and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region.
He affirmed that the regional bloc would deploy “all means
necessary” to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
The African Union has also given the Tchiani 15 days to
restore Bazoum to power.
Seated at the State House Conference Centre, the leaders
will, among other things, discuss possible sanctions on Niger.
Present are Presidents Umaro Embaló (Guinea Bissau), Faure
Gnassingbé (Togo), Nana Akubo-Addo (Ghana), Patrice Talon (Benin Republic),
Alassane Ouattara (Cote d’Ivoire), Adama Barrow (The Gambia) and Macky Sall
(Senegal).
Foreign Ministers Luís Tavares of Cabo Verde and Dee-Maxwell
Kemayah Sr. of Liberia and Nigerien representatives are also attending.
It was also observed that the President of the Tchadian
Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Déby, appeared earlier but left before
the meeting commenced.
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