Military commanders in Niger have cautioned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) not to send soldiers to Niger.
General Abdourahmane Tchiani, also known as Omar Tchiani, the commander of Niger’s presidential guard, declared himself president, although the country’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, has been detained by the military since the coup last week.
In a statement carried on Niger national television, Niger’s military commanders advised against any military action.
“The objective of the ECOWAS meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” Aljazeera quoted the military spokesperson, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, to have said.
During the conference, the regional body imposed a seven-day deadline on Niger’s military junta to reinstate President Bazoum as democratically elected President or face a slew of harsh sanctions.
It also charged the member-state Chiefs of Defence Staff with convening an emergency conference to brainstorm on effective measures to carry out a possible military operation to restore constitutional order to the office.
ECOWAS, which accepted Bazoum as the rightful President of the country, threatened Niger Republic with land border closures and a no-fly zone if the military coup masterminds did not heed its ultimatum.
This was the resolution of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government Extraordinary Session, which took place on Sunday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, who read the communiqué, the body “call for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as President and Head of State of the Republic of Niger and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Reject any form of resignation that may purportedly come from His Excellency, President Mohamed Bazoum; considered the illegal detention of President Bazoum as a hostage situation and hold the authors of the attempted coup that are solely and fully responsible for the safety and security of His Excellency President Mohammed Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government.
“In the event, the Authority’s demands are not met within one week, take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.
“Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Asia. 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 of measure from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID”, he said.
