the Cédéo favors diplomacy to get out of the crisis, but “no option” is ruled out

2023-08-08 23:41:34

“No option has been ruled out by ECOWAS” to resolve the crisis in Niger. Nigeria’s presidency, which is also the incumbent of the Economic Community of West African States, has spoken for the first time since the first time since its ultimatum to the putschists expired on Tuesday. August 8. Spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, however, said that “to diplomacy” was “the best way forward”. An extraordinary summit of member states is scheduled for Thursday.

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A delegation from ECOWAS is impossible at this stage, according to the putschists. The military regime resulting from a coup d’etat in Niger informed ECOWAS, of which a delegation wanted to go to Niamey, that it could not come for the moment for reasons “of security”. The military invoke the “current context of anger and revolt of the populations following the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS”.

“Diplomacy is the preferred way to resolve this situation”, according to Anthony Blinken. The American Secretary of State favored RFI diplomatic means to restore constitutional order, rather than military intervention once envisaged by West African countries. On Tuesday on the BBC, the head of American diplomacy warned that the Russian group of mercenaries Wagner “benefited” of the instability caused by the coup d’etat in Niger, after having moved closer to neighboring Mali.

Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine appointed Prime Minister by the putschists. Born in 1965 in Zinder, the second most populous city in the country, this economist by training joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1991 after studying at the National School of Administration in Niamey. He was subsequently director of the cabinet of this ministry, then appointed minister in 2002 by ex-president Mamadou Tandja, to redress a chaotic economic and financial situation.

New ECOWAS meeting on Thursday for a new extraordinary summit. This announcement comes after the expiry of an ultimatum posed by ECOWAS to the junta in place in Niger, threatened with military intervention if it does not return the power confiscated on July 26 from elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his government.