An ECOWAS delegation, headed by Former Military Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has again failed to meet the junta leader, Good Evening Nigeria reports.
The delegation, which was scheduled to meet with Niger Republic Coup Leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, was instead received by Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, according to BBC Hausa.
According to report, the meeting with representative of the troubled West African country lasted about 90 minutes.
While is unclear why Abdulsalami’s delegation could not meet with the junta, there are unconfirmed reports of mutiny by the presidential guard of Niger Republic.
This is the second time Abdulsalami delegation would fail to meet the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Tichiani however later apologised for the first time when some Nigerian clerics met with him last weekend, saying he did not meet the delegation out of anger.
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ECOWAS had activated its standby force, keeping all options on the table, after the Niger junta disregarded the ultimatum to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum.
Following a two-day ECOWAS Defence Chiefs meeting in Accra, Ghana’s capital, Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, confirmed the regional bloc’s troops were prepared to act but highlighted ongoing mediation efforts.
“We are ready to go any time the order is given. The D-day is also decided. We’ve already agreed and fine-tuned what will be required for the intervention. As we speak, we are still readying [a] mediation mission into the country, so we have not shut any door,” Musah affirmed.
After Musah’s press conference, Burkina Faso and Mali, despite their earlier reluctance towards military intervention in Niger, deployed warplanes to the nation facing turmoil.
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In a joint statement released weeks prior, the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali cautioned against the dire consequences of military intervention in Niger, highlighting the potential for regional destabilization.
Niger’s national television disclosed the recent developments, reporting that military leaders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened in Niamey, Niger’s capital, to discuss “concrete measures” in the event ECOWAS opts to escalate the situation.
Most of ECOWAS’s 15 member states, except for Cape Verde and countries under military rule – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea – expressed willingness to contribute to the joint force.