The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has
directed the deployment of standby military troops to restore constitutional
order in the Niger Republic.
ECOWAS gave the directive on Thursday at the end of its
second extraordinary meeting held in Abuja to address the political crisis in
Niger.
The resolve to deploy force comes days after the military
junta in Niger defied the ECOWAS deadline to reinstate ousted President Mohamed
Bazoum.
The regional bloc had threatened the use of force as a last
option if the Nigerien military authorities remain recalcitrant one week from
the ECOWAS first meeting which was held on July 30.
In his opening remarks at the second extraordinary meeting
of the organisation, President Bola Tinubu said the political crisis in Niger
not only poses a threat to the stability of the nation but also has
far-reaching implications for the entire West African region.
The ECOWAS chairperson added that the bloc’s leaders were
mandated to exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to
constitutional governance in Niger.
He said the regional body would evaluate the effectiveness
of its interventions and identify any gaps or challenges that may have hindered
progress.
In a communique issued at the close of Thursday’s meeting,
ECOWAS arrived at a number of conclusions to address the Niger crisis,
including a call to the African Union to endorse all the decisions taken by the
organisation.
The bloc condemned Bazoum’s hostage condition and held the
military government in Niger responsible for the safety of the detained
president, his family and the democratically appointed administration.
While ECOWAS reiterated its determination to keep all
options on the table for the peaceful resolution of the crisis, the regional
body warned “member states who by their action directly or indirectly, hindered
the peaceful resolution of the crisis in Niger about the consequences for their
action before the community”.
“ECOWAS call on the African Union to endorse all the
decisions taken by the ECOWAS authority on the situation in Niger,” the bloc
added.
“The organisation
further call on all partner countries and institutions, including the United
Nations to support ECOWAS in its effort to ensure a quick restoration of
constitutional order in conformity with its normative instruments.”
ECOWAS also directed the president of the commission to
monitor the implementation of the sanctions and ordered the “committee of the
chief of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its
elements immediately”.
The bloc added that it would continue to commit to its
resolve to restore “constitutional order through peaceful means”.
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