A delegation from West Africa’s main regional bloc ECOWAS flew to Niger’s capital Niamey on Saturday to hold talks with the junta, reports Reuters citing an ECOWAS source.
Delegation led by Former President Nigeria Abdulsalam Abubakar arrived Niger at the early hours of Saturday August 19 and where received by the junta imposed prime minister Nijar Ali Lamine Zeine.
This is considered efforts by ECOWAS for a peaceful resolution to the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum, however on Friday defence chiefs emphasized they were ready to intervene militarily if coup leaders continue to defy international pressure to stand down.
The delegation, which includes the bloc’s president Omar Touray, was met at Niamey airport by the junta-appointed prime minister and was due to hold talks with the self-declared authorities, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
ECOWAS has taken a harder stance on the Niger coup, the wider region’s seventh in three years, than it did on previous ones.
Reuters
