NIAMEY: A delegation representing the West Africa’s Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc arrived in Niger on Saturday seeking a peaceful resolution rather than military one following the seizure of power by senior army officers in a coup.
The delegation, led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar, landed in the capital during the early afternoon. This comes a day after ECOWAS military chiefs announced their readiness to intervene and restore the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum. The ECOWAS has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a final option to restore democracy in Niger. Mohamed Bazoum was ousted by the generals on July 26 last.
The ECOWAS previous delegation, led by Abubakar on August 3, made an unsuccessful attempt to meet both President Bazoum and the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Sources close to the current delegation indicate its intention to convey “a message of resoluteness” to the army officers and hold discussions with President Bazoum.
Bazoum, along with his family, has been held at the president’s official residence since the coup, raising international concerns about his conditions of detention.
Earlier the Niger’s military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, promised that Bazoum would not be hurt.
