Niger coup: Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS nations meet in Abuja

The chiefs of staff of the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting from Wednesday to Friday in Abuja on the subject of the putsch in Niger, announced Tuesday evening the regional organization in a statement.

West African leaders meeting in an extraordinary summit on Sunday in the Nigerian capital condemned the putsch and gave the putschists a week to restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to his duties, reserving the possibility of resorting to force.

She had thus announced a meeting of the chiefs of staff of the member countries to come. The leaders had also announced the upcoming appointment of a representative who would be dispatched to Niger to submit their demands.

An ECOWAS delegation, led by former Nigerian President Abdulsalami Abubakar, is also due to visit Niger on Wednesday, a senior official from the West African organization and a military official from Niger said on condition of anonymity.

On Monday evening, Burkina Faso and Mali, neighbors of Niger and also governed by the military, showed their solidarity with the putschists by saying that any military intervention to restore Mohamed Bazoum would be considered "a declaration of war" on their two countries. and would lead to their withdrawal from ECOWAS, "as well as the adoption of measures of self-defense in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger".

They added, in a joint statement, that they "refuse to apply" the "illegal, illegitimate and inhuman sanctions against the people and the authorities of Niger" also decided on Sunday by ECOWAS in Abuja.