The heads of state and government in the area have been requested by the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to lift the sanctions against the Niger Republic.
The ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum by a group of military troops led by former Presidential Guard Commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani prompted the ECOWAS Head of State to impose sanctions on the Niger Republic in July.
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These measures included stopping all business dealings with Niger, freezing state assets in the central bank of the area, freezing state assets in commercial banks, and stopping financial support from regional development institutions.
In addition, Nigeria shut off power to the country on the 80 megawatt Birnin-Kebbi line as a result of the ECOWAS sanctions, and Ivory Coast ceased to import and export Nigerien commodities.
Following the Senate’s inaugural session, Chief Whip Senator Ali Ndume informed the media that seven Nigerian states—seven of which border the Niger Republic—were subject to sanctions.
“Women and children have been exposed to unimaginable hardship,” Ndume stated. The problem still hasn’t been resolved in a way that makes sense. Since the poor are the ones who are suffering, we are pleading with the ECOWAS members to waive the sanctions and open the closed border between Niger and Nigeria. Let me clarify that concerned folks came to this conclusion collectively.
“This press conference is merely an appeal to the heads of state of the ECOWAS to take into account the humanitarian situation and end the impasse in Niger.”
