The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Niger Republic’s military junta will begin talks this week, sources have confirmed.
Daily Trust was told on Sunday that a date would be fixed after the Nigeria’s Islamic scholars, led by Sheik Bala Lau, Chairman of Jam’atul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, who met with the junta in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Saturday brief President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The ulamas, according to sources at the Presidency, will brief Tinubu today.
One of the sources said ECOWAS welcomed the readiness of the Niger’s military rulers for dialogue.
The leader of the junta, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, had, at a meeting with the Nigeria’s Islamic clerics, reportedly expressed readiness for dialogue.
A source said President Tinubu “is keen to see progress being made.”
“ECOWAS leaders, in the communiqué after their last meeting, said they are committed to ensuring peaceful end to this problem. So, it is not about the Nigerian Presidency. So, dialogue is welcome. Dialogue was part of the resolutions reached in the last meeting, even when they said standby force should be activated, still they maintained that they were still committed to peaceful resolution of the issue,” the source said.
“I’m not sure when the ulamas are briefing the President, maybe tomorrow (today) because they came back either this morning or last night…But I know if they are not holding a meeting today (yesterday), then definitely they will be seeing him (the President) tomorrow (today)”, the official said.
Another source said the window of dialogue, which ECOWAS leaders had approved, would be activated as soon as the clerics brief Tinubu and the process would commence almost immediately.
Since President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown on July 26, General Tchiani’s regime had shunned several peace overtures.
But during a meeting with the ulamas from Nigeria, Tichani was quoted to have said that doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter.
In a statement on Sunday on behalf of the intervention team, Sheik Lau said his delegation and the military rulers deliberated on several issues, including ECOWAS demand for the reinstatement of Bazoum.
Asked if the discussion for dialogue took place, Lau quoted Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, the Prime Minister of Niger, appointed by the junta, as saying, “Yes, for sure.
“That was exactly what the leader of our country told them, he did not say he was not open to dialogue.”
Zeine was said to have expressed optimism that talks with ECOWAS would take place in the next few days.
‘’We’ve agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue. They’ll now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us…. we hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted.”
‘Why we shunned Abdulsalami delegation’
Sheik Lau said the Niger’s military leaders also disclosed the reason they ignored the delegation led by former Nigeria’s Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd), in an effort to restore the toppled government.
President Tinubu had sent the high-powered team which included Abubakar and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, to end Niger’s crisis through dialogue.
The delegation, however, returned to Nigeria without getting the attention of the junta.
Sheik Lau quoted the military rulers as saying they were angry when the delegation led by Abubakar came.
Tchiani, who received the clerics with warmth, said it was painful to the coup leaders that the ECOWAS leaders did not hear their side of the matter before issuing an ultimatum to them to quit office.
‘We toppled Bazoum to save Niger, Nigeria’
At the meeting held in Niamey, Tchiani claimed the coup was well intended, saying they struck to starve off an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger Republic but also Nigeria.
He apologised for not according the team sent by President Tinubu the required attention because they were angry about the ECOWAS ultimatum.
Speaking with journalists in Niamey after the meeting, another member of the intervention team and Chief Missioner of Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, Sheik Ahmad Abdulrahman, said contrary to reports in some sections of the media, the team was well received by General Tchiani and both parties had fruitful discussions.
“We’ll now go back home and report to President Tinubu what we’ve discussed and press it on him that war is not an option in resolving the matter.
“We believe that war is an ill wind that’ll not blow any good and that peaceful resolution should prevail,” Abdulrahman said.
@Daily Trust