Niger Coup: ECOWAS Leaders Begin Closed-Door Session

Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), guided by Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, are currently in a meeting.

Naija News gathered that President Tinubu after addressing other leaders in the meeting held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, convened in a private session to deliberate on the situation in the Niger Republic.

Opening the session, Tinubu expressed the regional bloc’s dedication to “protecting democracy and human rights in the Niger Republic.”

He stressed the importance of engaging the coup leaders to restore President Mohamed Bazoum to power.

It was previously reported that ECOWAS leaders planned an emergency summit on the Niger coup after the military ignored a deadline to reinstate the elected president.

Following the coup that ousted Bazoum, ECOWAS indicated its preference for a diplomatic solution but kept the option of using force on the table.

Given the increasing frequency of coups since 2020, ECOWAS set a deadline for the coup instigators to reinstate Bazoum.

However, this deadline passed without any significant developments from the coup leaders.

Rather than feel threatened the coup leaders closed its air space and also created a new government.

Naija News had earlier reported that the coup leaders appointed new ministers.