At the ECOWAS summit scheduled for Thursday, August 10, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, the ousted president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, has dispatched his Foreign Minister.
Since the coup d’état on July 26th, Mohamed Bazoum has been held by the coup leaders, but he continues to maintain control. The deposed head of state was represented on Thursday, August 10th, in Abuja, Nigeria, during the summit of ECOWAS Heads of State. “The President of the Republic, Mohamed Bazoum, will be represented in Abuja by the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hassoumi Massaoudou,” stated an advisor to the Nigerien president to RFI.
By appearing in Abuja, Mohamed Bazoum highlights his legitimacy and demonstrates to the world that he is the only elected representative capable of representing the people of Niger. Furthermore, ECOWAS will have to make a decision in Abuja: continue to engage in dialogue with the junta or undertake a military action to free Bazoum and restore constitutional order in Niger.
It should be noted that the military recently established their first transitional government consisting of 21 members, led by Prime Minister Lamine Zeine Ali Mahamane, who will have to manage the emergency due to the economic and financial sanctions imposed on the country.
