Niger Coup: 11 of 16 ECOWAS Heads of State arrive for Extraordinary meeting in Abuja

Eleven out of the sixteen Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Heads of State and Government are currently in a closed-door session at the Extraordinary meeting over the military coup in Niger Republic.

The summit, which is holding at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will be deliberating on developments in the neighbouring Niger Republic, particularly on the next line of actions that will follow up on the resolutions and ultimatum issued to the Nigerien junta, which recently sacked the administration of the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum

Recall that at about fortnight ago, the ECOWAS Heads of State have ordered the military junta in Niger that overthrew the democratically elected President Muhamad Bazoum to reverse their action and reinstate the President.

ECOWAS gave the military junta a seven day ultimatum to vacate the seat of power and handover to the sacked President, Bazoum and the ultimatum had since expired.

It threatened several sanctions including military actions against the military junta if they failed to vacate office and reinstate the embattled President.

Among the President at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja,the venue of the extraordinary meeting are the ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, President. Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco of Guinea Bissau and President Everiste Ndayishimiye of Burundi

Others are President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania , President Nana Akofo-Ado of Ghana, President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic and Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé Eyadéma of
Togo

The Gambia and Liberia are member-states being represented by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs

Those absent are the heads of state in the troubled Niger Republic, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso

The ECOWAS Authority had during the last Extraordinary Summit, held on July 30, in Abuja, imposed a number of sanctions on Niger, particularly the coupists, and demanded for the immediate release of President Bazoum, his family and members of the his government, who are all being detained by the military.