The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has scheduled another meeting on the Niger Republic crisis.
ECOWAS leaders had met in Abuja recently and issued a 7-day deadline for the Niger junta to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military intervention.
In response, the junta severed ties with Nigeria and some other countries sympathetic to Bazoum’s cause, vowing to defend the territorial integrity of Niger and warning against the planned military move.
ECOWAS had last week sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with the new regime, but their representatives met with the team led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).
The military regime had shut Nigerien airspace indefinitely and placed troops on standby.
President Bola Tinubu, chairman of ECOWAS, on Monday, August 7, sent a notice of a meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.
The statement read:
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger.
“The Summit will hold in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, 2023.”
“The ECOWAS leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the summit.”
