ECOWAS To Niger Junta: ‘Not Too Late To Reconsider Your Position’

West African regional bloc, ECOWAS has told Niger’s coup leaders that it was “not too late” to reconsider their position in the face of calls for them to return the country to civilian rule.

The regional body said the use of military force was still “very much on the table”.

President of, the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, stated this while speaking with reporters in Abuja on Friday.

Generals who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a July 26 rebellion have called for a three-year transition period while the 15-member regional body demands the immediate return to constitutional order.

With delegations shuttling into Niamey, ECOWAS says negotiations remain its priority while defence chiefs prepare a standby mission for a possible “legitimate use of force” to restore democracy if needed.

The Niger coup has heightened tensions in the Sahel region, where three other governments have fallen to military rebellions since 2020, and jihadists control swathes of territory.

ECOWAS leaders say they cannot accept another coup in their region and have already applied sanctions on Niger to pressure the new regime.

According to Omar Alieu Touray “Even now, it is not too late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup d’etat.

“The real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coup d’etats in the region.”

Bazoum remained in detention with his family at the official residence since the coup.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Anambra Police Commissioner, Aderemi Adeoye on Friday, vowed to clamp down on cultists running wild in the state as a result of the recent cult-related killing in the state

Adeoye, who described the cultists as murderers said they are not fit to live among decent human beings in the society.