ECOWAS, AU Leaders Meet Over Niger Republic

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) leaders on Sunday met as the deadline set by the regional bloc for the Niger junta to return President Mohamed Bazoum to power expired.

Naija News gathered that the meeting involving ECOWAS and AU leaders was held virtually.

ECOWAS leaders will this week convene a meeting in Abuja after their virtual meeting to make a crucial decision on the ultimatum.

A source privy to the ECOWAS meeting told The Nation that a communique would be issued afterward.

Following a military coup against the democratically elected President of Niger Republic, the ECOWAS states had given a seven-day ultimatum against the junta to vacate office or face dire consequences.

The junta has remained defiant despite ECOWAS threatening to attack. The regional bloc had said the military had until yesterday to return power to the democratically elected president.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday also met with governors from Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Katsina, and Jigawa, states that share boundaries with the Niger Republic

While the details were not immediately disclosed, the meeting is understood to be part of more comprehensive discussions on the political instability in Niger.

Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS, had on Friday written to the Nigerian Senate to seek support for “military build-up and deployment of personnel for military intervention to enforce compliance of the military junta in Niger should they remain recalcitrant.”

The Senate, however, turned down the request on Saturday, urging ECOWAS to explore diplomacy instead of war.