Again, Abdulsalami leads ECOWAS delegation to Niger

Another attempt at reversing the political situation and avoiding a war in Niger has seen former Nigerian military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar lead another ECOWAS delegation to Niamey, Niger’s capital.

The delegation arrived in Niamey on Saturday, a day after ECOWAS defence chiefs agreed on a date to militarily intervene in Niger.

This is the second time Mr Abubakar is visiting Niger since the 26 July coup. At his first visit, his delegation, including the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar, was denied access into the city and could not meet the junta leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani.

Mr Tchiani later apologised and stated that they were angry at ECOWAS for not listening to their own side of the story before issuing an ultimatum.

The junta leaders in Niger also turned down a meeting request from a joint delegation of the UN, AU and ECOWAS, citing security reasons.

UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday at a press briefing said the UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simao, eould arrive in Niger to meet the military rulers and other parties to facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to the crisis in Niger.

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Responding to a question about the UN’s position on the use of force by ECOWAS, Mr Dujarric said “what we want to see is a return to constitutional order. We want to see the liberation of the President and his family and the restoration of his legitimate authority.”

“We have seen what ECOWAS is discussing. We’ve also seen what the AU has said. Our focus right now is on doing what we can to see a return to the constitutional order…” he added.