ECOWAS Holds Another Meeting After Coup Leaders Defied Its Ultimatum

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has said it will again meet on Thursday this week, on the crisis in Niger Republic whose coup leaders have defied its ultimatum to hand over power or face possible military action.

“ECOWAS heads of state (will) hold another extraordinary summit on the political situation in the Republic of Niger,” the 15-member bloc said in its first official reaction after Niger ignored Sunday’s deadline to reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

According to the West African regional bloc, the summit is to be held in Abuja, Nigeria, whose President Bola Tinubu is the current ECOWAS chairman.

Reports say an ECOWAS source disclosed that West African nations were not envisaging an immediate military intervention at this stage.

Italy and Germany called for a diplomatic solution in the troubled Sahel nation.

Neighbouring Mali said it and Burkina Faso — which have both been suspended from ECOWAS over their own military coups — were sending a joint official delegation to Niamey to show “solidarity (with) the people of Niger”.

They have said military intervention would be tantamount to a declaration of war.

Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that
Niger’s military rulers have closed the country’s airspace as the one-week ultimatum given by ECOWAS expired on Sunday,

The military leaders, therefore warned that it would deploy an “energetic and immediate response” should there be an attempt to violate the closure.