The second extraordinary meeting of the leaders of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on the socio-political situation in Niger Republic has gone into a closed door session.
Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of State and goverment Bola Tinubu said it’s regrettable that the seven day ultimatum issued during the first extraordinary summit has not yielded the desired outcome as the Military Junta have failed to handover power to the ousted President Mohammed Bazoum.
He said the ongoing meeting will afford the leaders the opportunity to meticulously review and assess the progress made since the last gathering.
The Nigerian Leader said the ECOWAS will exhaust all avenues of engagement to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger Republic.
He expressed confidence that 2nd summit will be a defining moment in the region’s journey towards a stronger, more resilient and integrated west Africa.
The meeting is to deliberate on the various reports of the special envoys dispatched to Niger republic and non-ecowas nation’s particularly Libya and Algeria after which a decision will be taken.
In attendance at the meeting holding at the State house Conference centre are President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, President. Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco of Guinea Bissau, President Everiste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritinia.
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Others are President Nana Akofo-Ado of Ghana, President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic
Also expected at the meeting are Togo’s Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President Adama Barrow of The Gambia.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which has previously sent military forces into troubled member states and imposed sanctions, had told the coup leaders to stand down by Sunday. But the coup leaders instead closed Niger’s airspace and pledged to defend the country.
Landlocked Niger is more than twice the size of France, and many flight paths across Africa would normally pass through its airspace. Air France suspended flights to and from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Bamako in Mali, which both border Niger, until Friday and warned that some flight times would increase.
