Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of Niger’s military junta, has pledged that his country will not rejoin the Economic Community of West African States.
He also declared that none of the three Sahel nations would rejoin ECOWAS.
Tchiani claimed this on Monday during an interview with the RTN news channel in the country’s capital, Niamey.
In January, the military regimes of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger confirmed their immediate resignation from ECOWAS, citing a “sovereign decision” to leave “without delay”.
They argued that ECOWAS had become a menace to its member states.
“Eager to achieve integration between the states of the sub-region and driven by the ideals of brotherhood, solidarity, mutual aid, peace and development, their Excellencies General Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, General Moussa Traoré and Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountchė, respectively Heads of State of Upper Volta (current Burkina Faso), Mali and Niger, created with 12 of their peers, on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, the Economic Community of West African States.
“After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organisation has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.”
However, the ECOWAS Commission said it was not aware of the withdrawal of the three countries.
It added that “Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority.”
On the consequences of its withdrawal on security, trade and socio-economic activities, Tchiani said, “Now the world is a global village and is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.
“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would harm Nigeriens,” he added.