By Ayo Yusuf
After a special Extraordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the regional body has given the military junta in the Republic of Niger one week to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum as President or face sanctions and possibly a combined military attack.
Already, the regional body has directed all Chiefs of Defense Staff of the member-states to proceed for an emergency meeting to strategize on effective ways to implement a likely military operation to restore constitutional order in Niger.
ECOWAS again recognised Mr. Bazoum as the legitimate President of the nation, and threatened to impose land border closures and no-fly zone conditions on Niger Republic should the masterminds of the coup fail to heed its ultimatum.
According to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, who read the communique of the Extraordinary Session, the body “call for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come from His Excellency, President Mohamed Bazoum; considered the illegal detention of President Bazoum as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup that are solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government.
“In the event the Authority’s demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.
“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Asia. Freeze all service transactions including energy transactions. Freeze assets of the Republic of Niger in Aqua Central Bank. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks.
“Suspension of measure from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID”, he said.
Tinubu Takes Initiative
Earlier on Sunday President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has been vociferous in his criticism of the Niger coup gathered all the leaders of the member states of ECOWAS in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was held at the behest of Tinubu as the Chairman of the regional body, following the coup d’etat in the Republic of Niger, which has upset the constitutional political leadership in the West Africa country.
Among early arrivals of leaders of members-states who were at the State House Conference Center, were President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau, Alassane Ouattara of Cote D’Ivoire and Faure Gnassingbe of Togo.
Others are Presidents Macky Sall of Senegal, Patrice Talon of Benin, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, while Cape Varde and Liberia are being represented by the Foreign Affairs Ministers.
Transitional President of Chad, Mahamat Deby, made an early appearance and departed before the meeting was declared open.
There have been widespread condemnation of the military coup in the West African country from the U.S, the EU , the UN, the AU and ECOWAS since the Commander of Niger’s Presidential Guards, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, on Friday, declared himself Head of a Transitional Government after his soldiers took President Mohamed Bazoum into custody on Wednesday.
