Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of Nigeria and chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), believes dialogue is the “best way forward” to settle the problem in Niger, according to his spokesman on Tuesday.
For the first time since the soldiers behind the Niger coup disregarded the ECOWAS’ Sunday ultimatum to restore legitimately-elected president Mohamed Bazoum or risk using force, Bola Tinubu spoke.
In the meantime, negotiations between ECOWAS and the United States and the new government of Niger have stalled ahead of a crisis summit on Thursday in the Nigerian capital Abuja.
“No options have been taken off of the table,” Tinubu’s spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said but West African leaders favour diplomacy.
The United States said it still held out hope for reversing the coup but was “realistic” it is hard to achieve now.
“We do have hope that the situation will be reversed but at the same time, we are making clear, including in direct conversations with junta leaders themselves, what the consequences are for failing to return to constitutional order,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
After rebel soldiers overthrew Bazoum, ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) imposed trade and financial sanctions on Niger.
The coup leaders disregarded the bloc’s warning after giving Niger a seven-day deadline to restore Bazoum or risk using force.
The soldiers who took control of Niamey on July 26 stopped an ECOWAS mission on Monday in the lead-up to the conference.
The coup leaders claimed in a letter that the delegation’s safety would be in jeopardy due to public “anger” brought on by ECOWAS sanctions.
ECOWAS nations have had a string of coups since 2020; four of the 15 members have experienced a coup.
