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Member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues related to the political crisis in Niger.
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The leaders of Burkina Faso and Mali, member countries of the community, were absent at the high-level meeting held in Nigeria’s capital Abuja. It will take place until next Friday, August 4.
The defense ministers of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, as well as Niger, also failed to attend the meeting, which has highlighted internal differences within the organization of West African states.
This comes after ECOWAS rejected the coup d’état led by the head of the Presidential Guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani against the ousted president, Bazoum.
Defence Chiefs from Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso,and Guinea are conspicuously absent from the ECOWAS defence chiefs meeting currently ongoing in Abuja.
The meeting is coming after the seven day ultimatum issued by ECOWAS following the military coup in Niger Republic. pic.twitter.com/OPyxZzKlNl
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August 2, 2023
The West African regional bloc suspended all its relations with the African country and threatened this weekend a possible military intervention in Niger. In this regard, the governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have warned that any military intervention against Niger will be considered a declaration of war.
Among the first measures against Niger are financial and travel sanctions against military leaders, while Nigeria has already cut off electricity supplies to the neighboring nation.
The regional organization’s Commissioner for Peace and Security, Abdelfattah Moussa, has said that the possibility of military intervention is “the last option” on the table, although “this eventuality” cannot be ruled out.
