ECOWAS’ resolutions on the military coup in Niger Republic

The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued an eight-point resolution on the military coup that happened in Niger Republic on Wednesday, 26th July, 2023.

The decision on the resolution was made during the ‘extraordinary’ summit of the council of ECOWAS, presided over by its Chairman, President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Sunday.

The following are the highlights of ECOWAS’s resolution:

1. Closure of Land and air borders between ECOWAS and Niger.

2. Institution of ECOWAS no flight zone to all commercial flights to and fro Niger.

3. Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger.

4. Freeze all service transactions including energy transactions.

5. Freeze assets of Niger Republic in all ECOWAS Central banks.

6. Freeze all Niger State and the state enterprises and parastatals in commercial banks.

7. Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions.

8. Impose travel bans on the military officials and their families involved in the coup attempt including anyone who accepts to take a position in the military government.

Further to these resolutions, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, also announced the decision to use forceful interventions if the coup plotters do not adhere to the conditions of the council.

Touray noted that all Chiefs of Defense Staff of the member states will proceed for an emergency meeting to strategise on effective ways to implement a possible military operation to restore Bazoum to office.

He added that the ECOWAS will “Take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Nigeria.

“Such measures may include the use of force.

“To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense staff of ECOWAS are to meet immediately.”

Meanwhile the Authority of ECOWAS had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military in Niger Republic to restore ousted President Muhammed Bazoum to office.

The Republic of Niger, a landlocked country in West Africa is bordered by Libya and Algeria in the north, Benin and Nigeria in the south, Burkina Faso in southeast, Mali in west, and Chad in east.

Before Niger was colonised by France, it used to be occupied by different Kingdoms who fought to take control of the area at different points in time. For instance, Medieval Ghana, the Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empires all claimed parts of the region at different times in the 19th century. The Fulani Empire in Hausaland also struggled with the empire of Bornu to control the land around the same time.

However, 1958, Niger became an autonomous state within the French Community, and in 1960, Niger gained independence. In terms of land mass, Niger is bigger than France (metropolitan) but less than US state, Texas.

Four-fifth of the land area is arid desert and tropical savanna in the south. The climate is mostly hot, dry, and dusty.

Bazoum was democratically elected in 2021, taking the helm of one of Africa’s poorest and most coup-prone countries.

However, the Commander of the country’s Presidential Guards, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Friday, declared himself the Head of a Transitional Government.

Political map of Niger below source: nationsonline.org