ECOWAS will continue to pursue diplomatic initiatives towards the restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger following the 26th July 2023 coup in the country without compromising on the option of the deployment of force, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray has said.
Addressing his maiden press conference since the outbreak of the political crisis in Abuja on Friday, 25th July 2023, the President said that the military option was decided by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Community in order to stem the contagion of coups following the three successful and three failed coups in the region.
“The current development in the Republic of Niger adds to the list of attempted coups d’état in the region so you can understand why the Heads of State and Government have decided that this is one coup too many and resolved that it was time to end the contagion,” he stated.
He added: “The decision of the Heads of State and Government to activate the clause providing for the application of legitimate force in Niger was reached only after due consideration of how political dialogue alone has unfortunately failed to deter coup plotters in the region.
“The precedents in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso are unsettling and underline the reason why the Community was obliged to take such a hard but legitimate stance, backed by the `ECOWAS Community law which I must stress again was subscribed to by all the Member States, including Niger Republic.”
Dr Touray said that In the interim, the region is employing other elements of its instruments and engaging with the military authorities as can be attested to by the several missions that have been fielded to the country and our joint efforts with our partners, including the African Union and the UN, adding that the region is hopeful that these diplomatic efforts will yield the desired outcome and make it unnecessary for the deployment of the force.
He recounted some of the diplomatic initiatives deployed by the Authority including the first mission sent by the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority on 26th July, 2023, the second mission led by H. E GEN Abdu Salaam and H E the Sultan of Sokoto which held a meeting at the airport as well as a joint mission involving the AU and the UN which was refused entry.
The ECOWAS Commission President added that “I am glad to report that the most recent mission was received by the President of the CNSP, the Prime Minister and members of CNSP. The mission also saw President Bazoum,”
He characterized the coup in Niger as a “tragedy for our regional efforts at consolidating democracy after the political crises of the 90’s exemplified by the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone,” emphasizing that “through the collective efforts of our community, the region was stabilized and the foundation for democracy and the rule of law restored as indeed, until about three years ago, all leaders in the ECOWAS region were democratically elected.”
