Four days after the end of the ultimatum given to the Nigerien junta, ECOWAS convenes in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, 2023, for a second extraordinary summit on the situation in Niger.
Second ECOWAS summit on the Nigerien crisis this Thursday in Abuja. With the evolving situation, ECOWAS will likely try to update the decisions made on July 30th. These decisions are, in fact, economic sanctions imposed on Niger to try to pressure the coup leaders and hope for the restoration of Mohamed Bazoum, ousted on the night of Wednesday, July 26, 2023.
At the end of the July 30th meeting, ECOWAS had also ordered the military to release and reinstate Mohamed Bazoum to his position as the President of the Republic within a week. Otherwise, all means, including the use of force, would be used to compel them to do so. However, a week later, the situation remains unchanged. Mohamed Bazoum is still held by the coup leaders who have established a significant presence.
All eyes are on the official statement from today’s extraordinary summit. Will ECOWAS continue negotiation efforts or automatically proceed with military intervention? We will know more in the coming hours.
