The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa, searched diplomatic ways on Sunday to overturn last month’s coup in Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa.
On Saturday, West Africa’s regional bloc said that it wanted to send a parliamentary committee to meet the coup leaders in Niger amid the ongoing crisis.
ECOWAS parliament also established a committee to meet Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in order to get his permission to go to Niger. The bloc wanted to meet the coup leaders in Niger, who had imprisoned Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and dissolved the government.
The regional bloc aims to stop the sixth military takeover in the region. The bloc also set August 6 as a deadline for Niger’s military to restore democracy and peace in the country. However, no military action was taken. The coup leaders, headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani, did not take ECOWAS ‘warning seriously, raising concern of further conflict.
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ECOWAS has already sent a standby military force to Niger. The troops from the United States, France, Germany, and Italy are already stationed in Niger.
The European Union and the African Union also warned the military in Niger to stop the conflict. Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, also urged the military to restore democracy.
Mohamed Bazoum was ousted by the military on 26 July. His family also started struggling without electricity or clean water. Reportedly, their health conditions have been deteriorating.
Recently, the United States and the United Nations raised concern about the health and safety of Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that he was concerned about Mohamed Bazoum’s family.
The military junta has been ruling Niger since 26 July. The military sent Mohamed Bazoum under house arrest.
