A meeting of the Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS Chiefs of Defence Staff has began at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, Abuja over the coup in in Niger Republic.
Sources confirmed that the meeting is to fine-tune measures to execute the resolutions of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments towards reinstating ousted President Mohamed Bazoum back to power.
The meeting is being presided by Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
But as the meeting commenced, the seats allocated to Mali, Guinea,, Niger and Burkina Faso Chiefs of Defence Staff is currently vacant, signaling their unavailability. These four countries are currently under military rule and has formed an alliance for mutual protection.
The Defence Chiefs participating in the meeting include Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Cote’ Divoire, Cabo Verde and Republic of Benin.
ECOWAS leaders had on Sunday given Niger coupists one-week ultimatum to restore democratic order in the country or risk military action.
The ECOWAS leaders had agreed that in the event the Authority’s demands are not met within one week, they would “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.”
The full resolutions of the meeting include the following:
“Affirm that His Excellency President Mohamed BAZOUM remains the legitimate elected President and Head of State of The Republic of Niger recognized by ECOWAS, the African Union and the International community; In this regards, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly mandated officials will be recognized by ECOWAS;
“Condemn in the strongest terms the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger and the illegal detention of His Excellency President Mohamed Bazoum, President and Head of State of Niger, as well as members of his family and Government;
“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;
“Consider the illegal detention of President Bazoum as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup d’état solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohamed 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 Niger. Such measures may include the use of force; To this effect, the Chiefs of defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”
The meeting also resolved to implement the following measures, “with immediate effect:”
- Closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger;
- Institution of ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger;
Nigerien President Mohammed Bazoum was held in his palace last Wednesday by the nation’s Presidential Guard.
On Friday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Head of the Presidential Guard, was announced as the country’s new leader.
Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, said the coup was the military’s response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.
In response to ECOWAS’ threat to use force upon the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, the Niger military issued a warning about “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention,” saying, “Certain dignitaries…are in thinking of confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”