The Nigerien military was given a seven-day deadline to restore constitutional order and reinstate ousted President Muhammed Bazoum to his office by members of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday.
This followed an unexpected gathering of ECOWAS leaders to address the situation in the Niger Republic at the State House in Abuja.
The group suspended all commercial flights between Niger and ECOWAS member states and recognized Bazoum as the legitimate President of the landlocked nation while also imposing land and border barriers.
The ECOWAS Commission’s president, Omar Touray, made the announcement and stated that all of the member states’ chiefs of defense will meet in an emergency session to discuss the best means to carry out a plan.
According to him, ECOWAS will “take all necessary measures to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”
“Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”
Touray stated that ECOWAS has approved the “suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger. Freeze all service transactions, including those involving energy.
“Freeze the Republic of Niger’s assets in Aqua Central Bank.” Assets of the Niger State, as well as state enterprises and parastatals, have been frozen in commercial banks.
“Suspension of the measure from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID.”
Members of Niger’s Presidential Guard, who carried out the coup, named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the country’s new leader on Friday.
Tchiani, who has led the Presidential Guard since 2011, said the coup on Wednesday was the military’s response to “the degradation of the security situation” caused by jihadist bloodshed.
The military also warned of the “consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention,” saying that “certain dignitaries…are considering confrontation,” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos.”
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