To address the political crisis in the nation, the military junta in the Niger Republic has agreed to hold talks with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
This was said in a statement released on Sunday by Nigeria’s Intervention Team, which is made up of academics from different Islamic sects in the nation.
The team, commanded by Sheikh Bala Lau, spoke with General Abdourahmane Tchiani, the leader of the coup, over the weekend. They discussed all the concerns, including the ECOWAS demand to restore former President Bazoum.
The team was in Niger on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who granted their request to intervene, according to a statement signed by Bala Lau on Sunday, according to ThisDay.
Therefore, he explained to General Tchiani that the purpose of the trip to Niger was to engage in productive discussion in order to persuade him and other military figures who were involved in the coup to choose the route of peace rather than violence to end the crisis.
General Tchiani praised the team’s assistance in his response and gave them a warm reception.
He said:
“Our doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter. It was painful that ECOWAS leaders did not hear our side of the matter before issuing an ultimatum to quit office.”
He added that the coup was well-intentioned and that it was carried out to avert an impending threat that would have affected both Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
The coup leader added that they were upset about the ECOWAS ultimatum and apologized for not providing the team President Tinubu had earlier dispatched the necessary attention.