Niger: ECOWAS clarifications on the situation in Niamey, a real organised comedy!!

Since the change of regime in Niger on July 26, followed by ECOWAS sanctions, it was only on December 10, five months later, that the organization chaired by the Nigerian Bola Tinubu recognized the coup d’état that ousted Mohamed Bazoum.

Consequently, Niger has been suspended from all ECOWAS bodies until constitutional order is restored, according to a communiqué from the ECOWAS Commission.

The Commission stated that the day after Bazoum’s overthrow in Niger, ECOWAS initially viewed the situation as an «attempted coup» rather than a full-fledged coup d’état.

This decision allowed the former government of the deposed president to continue representing the country in sub-regional bodies, in accordance with ECOWAS logic.

The clarification from ECOWAS comes after the CNSP in Niger denounced the invitation of certain members of the former Bazoum government to the Abuja summit.

The timing of these clarifications raises questions and suggests bad faith on the part of certain ECOWAS Heads of State, indicating a potential plot against Niger since the beginning of the crisis.

This situation appears to be a comedy on the part of the regional body, which seems to be playing its last credibility card on the Niger issue.

This press release further signals to the public that ECOWAS, once aspired to by the founding fathers, has lost its values and has become an empty shell.

The disarray at the summit of this significant sub-regional organization is evident.

Fayçal BADIE