It will be recalled that the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, had at a meeting with ECOWAS delegation, led by General Abadulsalami Abubakar (retd) (Nigeria), in Niamey on Saturday. He (Junta) promised the military government would return Niger Republic to democracy in three years.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, told BBC in an interview yesterday, that the proposal was unacceptable to ECOWAS, setting the ground for a forceful military invasion.
Though there are reports that there is a division among the civilians and soldiers in the country as regard the current situation.
An official noted that already there are deep divisions within the presidential guard which ousted President Bazoum, saying should ECOWAS launch an attack on Niger Republic, the majority of soldiers in the presidential complex would flee.
The Roman Pope Francis yesterday canvassed for a diplomatic solution to the political crisis. Pope calls for peace.
“I am following with concern what is happening in Niger, and join the bishops’ call in favour of peace in the country and stability in the Sahel he said.
Some demonstrators in Niger in favor of the new government, chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power, France, and especially ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation to reinstate elected President Mohamed Bazoum, if ongoing negotiations with coup leaders fail.
Niger’s new leaders have accused France, a close Bazoum ally, of being behind the anti-coup stance taken by ECOWAS.
According to AFP, after ECOWAS chiefs of staff met in the Ghanaian capital -Accra, on Friday, the 17-nation bloc said it had agreed on a date for a potential intervention, but nonetheless sent a diplomatic delegation to Niamey at the weekend, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Retd.).
Niger television showed delegation members shaking hands with Bazoum, who remains in detention.
It also broadcast footage of Abubakar speaking to Tchiani but the content of the exchange had not been made public.
In his televised address on Saturday, Tchiani alleged that ECOWAS was “getting ready to attack Niger by setting up an occupying army in collaboration with a foreign army”, without saying which country he meant.
The coup leader, Tchiani, however, warned that the military and people of Niger would defend the country should ECOWAS go ahead with its invasion plan.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani also said in a televised address at the weekend that he did not wish to “confiscate” power and that a transition of power back to civilian rule will not go beyond three years.
This is against the demand of ECOWAS which wants immediate restoration of democratic rule in the country, coupled with the reinstatement of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power.
Comments
Post a Comment