ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerien military junta to restore constitutional order and reinstate the ousted President, Muhammed Bazoum, into office.
This ultimatum came after an extraordinary meeting of leaders of other ECOWAS member states with President Bola Tinubu on Sunday at the State House, Abuja, to review the happenings in the Niger Republic.
The regional supranational body insisted that Bazoum is the only legitimate President of the West African state it recognizes, while also imposing land and border closures and suspending all commercial flights between Niger and other ECOWAS member states.
Announcing this resolution, The resident of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, disclosed that all Chiefs of Defense Staff of the member states will proceed for an emergency meeting to strategize on effective ways to implement a possible military operation to restore Bazoum to office.
He said the ECOWAS will “Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Such measures may include the use of force.
“To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”
Announcing economic sanctions, Touray said ECOWAS has approved the “Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between the COWAS Member States and Niger. Freeze all service transactions, including energy transactions.
Freeze the assets of the Republic of Niger in Aqua Central Bank. Freeze of the assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks
“Suspension of measures from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID.”
On Friday, members of Niger’s Presidential Guard who perpetrated the coup named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the nation’s new leader.
Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, 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 thinking of confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”
