As the seven-day ultimatum issued to Niger coup plotters winds down, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has insisted it will confront the junta in Niger Republic.
TheNewsGuru.com reports that on Wednesday, Defence Chiefs from ECOWAS member states met at the defense headquartes in Abuja the Nigerian capital.
Defence Chiefs from Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, The Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, and Cape Verde were in attendance at the meeting, which took place at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
But Defence Chiefs for Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, and Guinea were absent.
The Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff and President of ECOWAS Committee of Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, said the Niger coup called for collective attention and a united response.
He added that ECOWAS frowned upon any form of illegal takeover of power, and entrenched it in the 2001 Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
Musa said, “We must face the challenges of restoring democratic governance in Niger head-on, drawing on our shared experiences, wisdom, and collective resolve.
“Our decisions will have far-reaching implications for the ECOWAS region. ECOWAS’ strength lies in unity, shared values, and commitment to democracy, peace, and prosperity. In this regard, we are tasked with a mission to restore democracy in the Republic of Niger and preserve germane humanitarian principles across the region,” Musa said.