Meeting With Leaders of the Niger Coup Was Successful, and Nobody Wants War, Abdulsalami

The ECOWAS representative expressed hope that diplomatic efforts to settle the political unrest in the Niger Republic will succeed.

Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former head of state of Nigeria, claims that a meeting between his delegation and the coup leaders of the Niger Republic over the weekend was productive.

The deposed President Mohamed Bazoum’s democratically elected government would be reinstated through diplomacy, according to the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) special envoy.

Tuesday, Abdulsalami informed Nigerian President and ECOWAS Chairperson Bola Tinubu of the results of his delegation’s meeting with the coup leaders in the neighbouring nation.

Speaking to reporters at Aso Villa in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, after the meeting, Abdulsalami asserted that nobody wants war and expressed confidence that diplomacy will succeed.

The envoy stated, “As you know, the ECOWAS Heads of State have appointed me an ambassador to the Niger Republic and over the weekend, we were there to meet with the military personnel and talk and find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves.

“I have to admit that our trip to Niger was quite successful. It has created a space for conversation, so hopefully we can advance.

“We’ve started speaking; they’ve put forth their arguments, and I’ve put forth mine. I answer to the ECOWAS chairperson, who is currently consulting with his colleagues.

“I’m hoping that diplomacy will win the day. Nobody wants to go to war because nobody gets paid for it. Our leaders have stated that even if everyone fails—and I don’t believe everyone will—we will still succeed in getting somewhere and out of this mess.

Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of the coup, had declared that the junta would return to civilian administration within three years, but ECOWAS rejected the idea.

Niger Republic has been placed on suspension by the African Union due to the current predicament.

On July 26, military officials overthrew Bazoum, which prompted the West African regional group ECOWAS to threaten to use force to restore him.

As a last resort, ECOWAS decided to mobilise a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger.

Even as it pursues the possibility of a diplomatic resolution, it has stated that it is prepared to take action.

International concern for the Sahel, which is experiencing escalating jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organisation, has increased as a result of the coup.

Niger, after Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, is the fourth country in West Africa to experience a coup since 2020.

Any military action against one of their neighbours would be regarded as a “declaration of war” on Burkina Faso or Mali, according to the juntas in those countries.

Since the impoverished landlocked nation of Niger obtained independence from France in 1960, there have been five coup attempts.

The election of Bazoum in 2021 marked a turning point and paved the stage for the first peaceful transfer of power in the nation.

Since the coup, he has been detained alongside his family at the president’s official mansion, raising growing concerns about his living conditions.