The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced that the group's leaders will hold an emergency meeting next Thursday to discuss the situation in Niger, after the country's ruling military council ignored the deadline set to restore the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, to his post.
Aimus Lungu, a Spokesman for ECOWAS, said that the regional bloc will hold an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, next Thursday to discuss the military coup that took place in Niger in late July.
In a related context, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Taiani said in an interview published today that ECOWAS should extend the deadline for Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum's return to office, adding: "the only way is diplomacy."
He added, "In fact, Bazoum should be released, but we cannot do that. The United States is very careful in this regard, and it cannot be imagined that it will launch a military intervention in Niger."
ECOWAS imposed economic and travel-related sanctions on the new military leaders in Niger, and gave them a week to end the detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and restore him to office, threatening to use force if the coup was not reversed, before sending a delegation to Niger to negotiate in the hope of reaching a diplomatic solution before she must decide whether or not to intervene.
The coup began on July 26, when members of the Presidential Guard arrested President Muhammad Bazoum, before the closure of national institutions and the exit of demonstrators from both sides to the streets, and the announcement of the appointment of the head of the Presidential Guard, Abd al-Rahman Chiani, as the new ruler of the country.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency