A West African delegation arrived in Niamey on Saturday to attempt a new diplomatic mediation with the soldiers who took power in Niger, sources close to the new military regime, the ECOWAS and overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum. The plane landed around 1 p.m. (12 p.m. GMT) with a delegation of emissaries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on board, the day after the announcement of the regional organization who said she was ready to engage in armed intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Mr. Abubakar had already traveled to Niamey on behalf of ECOWAS on August 3, but had met neither Niger’s new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, nor the ousted president. According to a source close to ECOWAS, this delegation wishes to convey “a message of firmness” to the military in Niamey and meet President Bazoum still held prisoner.
On Friday August 18, the commissioner for political affairs, peace and security of the regional organization, Abdel-Fatau Musah, announced that this mission was intended to “continue to follow the peaceful path to restore constitutional order”. “.
At the same time, ECOWAS had indicated that it was ready to engage in armed intervention to restore constitutional order in Niger. “We are ready to intervene as soon as the order is given. The day of the intervention has also been fixed,” Musah said after a two-day meeting of West African chiefs of staff in Accra.
