Ifeanyi Ibe
Members of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, on Sunday, gave a seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerien military to return the country to constitutional order and reinstate ousted President Muhammed Bazoum into office.
The ultimatum was given at an extraordinary meeting of leaders of ECOWAS member-states at the State House, Abuja, where political developments in the Niger Republic took the front burner.
The meeting emphasised ECOWAS’s recognition of Bazoum as the legitimate President of the country.
Consequently, the regional body has imposed land and border closures on the Niger Republic and suspended its commercial flights with ECOWAS member states.
Announcing the decision, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, said all Chiefs of Defense Staff of the member states will proceed for an emergency meeting to strategize on effective ways to implement a possible military operation to restore Bazoum to office.
He said the ECOWAS will “Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.
Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”
While announcing the sanctions, Touray said ECOWAS has approved the “Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions with the ECOWAS Member States. Freeze all service transactions including energy transactions.
“Freeze assets of the Republic of Niger in Aqua Central Bank. Freeze of assets of the Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks.
“Suspension from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID.”
On Friday, members of Niger’s Presidential Guard who perpetrated the coup named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the nation’s new leader. Niger Coup: We Won’t Allow Any Undemocratic Action In ECOWAS Region – Tinubu
Tchiani, who has headed the Presidential Guard since 2011, said Wednesday’s coup is the military’s response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.
The military also issued a warning about “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention.”
ECOWAS is in deep shit.