ECOWAS announced on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the cancellation of a joint mission it was scheduled to hold with the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) in Niger. On this occasion, it reaffirmed its determination to work for the release and restoration of Mohamed Bazoum.
ECOWAS does not intend to back down in the face of the Nigerien coup plotters. The organization is steadfast in its commitment to restoring Mohamed Bazoum. “In accordance with the decision from the extraordinary ECOWAS summit of July 30, 2023, the Community will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the return to constitutional order in Niger,” the statement reads.
Regarding the joint ECOWAS-AU-UN mission that was expected in Niamey on Tuesday, August 8, ECOWAS indicated that “the project has been canceled following a communication from the military authorities in Niger.”
In a communication “sent late at night,” the National Council for the Salvation of the People (CNSP) informed the organizations that it was not in a position to receive the joint delegation.
In a statement released during the day on Tuesday, the junta explained the cancellation of the joint mission project. It cited the closure of borders, the context of anger and revolt triggered by ECOWAS sanctions against Niger.
