ECOWAS resorts to diplomatic channels to solve crisis in Niger
The president of the Economic Community of West African States, Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray has stated that ECOWAS will continue to seek diplomatic initiatives to restore constitutional order in Niger and has dismissed all claims that ECOWAS has declared war on Niger.
He was speaking during a press conference organised on August 25, 2023 in Abuja.
He revealed that the military option was a decision by Heads of State and governments to prevent the trend of coups d’état following three successful and failed attempted 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 noted
According to him, the coup in Niger was a tragedy to consolidate democracy after the political crises in the 90’s while citing the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
While dismissing all reports that ECOWAS has declared war on Niger, he stated that the decision to deploy a regional force is in line with the obligations under the commission to which Niger was part of the declaration.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger nor is the deployment of the regional force an “act of invasion”
However, he noted that the ECOWAS authority of Heads of State and Governments only activated a full-scale application of sanctions which includes the use of legitimate force to restore constitutional order only after due consideration of how political dialogue failed to prevent coup plotters in the region.
