Again, ECOWAS Leaders Set Up Committee To Negotiate With Niger Junta

Again, ECOWAS Leaders Set Up Committee To Negotiate With Niger Junta

On Sunday, West African heads of government decided to establish a fresh committee aimed at negotiating with the military junta in Niger. This marks at least the third committee formed by the regional body, ECOWAS, to engage in talks with the military rulers responsible for the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in July.

The newly appointed committee comprises the presidents of Togo, Sierra Leone, and Benin. Its primary objectives are to secure a commitment to a brief democratic transition from the Niger junta (CMSP) and to facilitate the release of President Bazoum, his family, and certain associates.

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“The Authority decides to set up a committee of Heads of State made up of the President and Head of State of the Republic of Togo, the President and the Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the President and Head of State of the Republic of Benin, to engage with the CMSP and other stakeholders with a view to agreeing on a short transition roadmap, establishing transition organs as well as facilitating the setting up of a transition monitoring and evaluation mechanism towards this speedy restoration of constitutional order,” the communique states.

Details of the communique of the ECOWAS leaders were read by Omar Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, at the end of the 64th ordinary session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, on Sunday in Abuja.

“Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of Heads of state with the CMSP, the Authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger.

“In the event of failure by the CMSP to comply with the outcomes of the engagement with the committee, ECOWAS shall maintain all sanctions, including the use of force, and shall request the African Union and all other partners to enforce the targeted sanctions on members of the CMSP and their associates,” the communique states, according to a press statement by Ajuri Ngelale, the spokesperson of President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.

The resolutions made on Sunday indicate a shift in the stance of ECOWAS leaders, signaling a diminished enthusiasm for the use of force to reinstate constitutional order in Niger. The regional body now places greater emphasis on dialogue with the coup leaders, aiming for a democratic restoration.

Following the July coup, ECOWAS implemented sanctions on Niger, encompassing trade restrictions and the freezing of accounts. In addition to addressing the situation in Niger, the leaders of ECOWAS also determined to promptly reassess initiatives to mobilize a standby force for counterterrorism operations in regions impacted by terrorist groups across the region.

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