West African leaders start summit on the coup in Niger

The group will likely make significant decisions at the meeting in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

Following the military chiefs of Niger’s defiance of an order to reinstate the elected president, leaders of the West African bloc have convened a second emergency conference to discuss the coup there.

On Thursday, many West African officials, including President Bola Tinubu, Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), gathered in Abuja, the political centre of Nigeria.

Representatives from the African Union and the United Nations were present.

After Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in a coup two weeks ago, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stated it is looking for a diplomatic solution but has not ruled out using force to end the issue.

The meeting in Abuja today is likely to produce significant conclusions.

The bloc, which has been working to stop a wave of coups among its members since 2020, gave the military in charge on July 26 until last Sunday to restore 63-year-old Bazoum or risk using force.

In the midst of a wave of economic measures, including border closure, Nigeria has also stopped supplying energy to Nigeria.

However, the coup’s organisers resisted, and the deadline passed without any action.

More to come…