‘Important decisions’ expected at ECOWAS summit on Niger

Issued on: 10/08/2023 – 07:01

2 min

5:28am: UN’s Guterres ‘very concerned’ over Bazoum detention conditions

The United Nations chief on Wednesday expressed grave concern over what he called the “deplorable” conditions of Niger leader Mohamed Bazoum‘s detainment and called for his release.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres denounced “the deplorable living conditions that President Bazoum and his family are reported to be living under”, according to a UN statement.

CNN reported Wednesday that Bazoum was being kept isolated and forced to eat dry rice and pasta by the rebels who overthrew him in a coup late last month.

In a series of text messages Bazoum sent to a friend, the president said he had been “deprived of all human contact since Friday”, with no one supplying him food or medicine, the network reported.

3:55am: Crucial ECOWAS summit to take place after ultimatum to putchists ignored

Leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS opposed to the coup d’état in Niger are meeting for an emergency summit in Abuja on Thursday, after their ultimatum to the soldiers who have seized power was ignored. 

“Important decisions” are expected at the summit, said ECOWAS on Tuesday, which reaffirmed its preference to use diplomacy to restore constitutional order in Niger, while maintaining its threat to intervene militarily. 

Through Nigeria, which holds the organisation’s rotating presidency, ECOWAS was speaking for the first time since the seven-day ultimatum given to the military to restore President Mohamed Bazoum to office expired on Sunday evening. However, the new rulers of Niger have so far appeared reluctant to negotiate with ECOWAS, leading to fears that a military intervention, which has been both feared and criticised in the region, will be put back on the table. 

Key developments from Wednesday, August 9:

Niger’s junta met with two envoys of Nigerian President and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chair Bola Tinubu in the capital Niamey on Wednesday, a Nigerian government source said. It remains unclear what was discussed during the meetings.

The French government rejects accusations by Niger’s new military rulers that it freed “terrorists” and violated the country’s air space, a government source said Wednesday. Niamey accused France of having released several jihadists and of allowing a military plane to take off despite an ongoing air space closure. 

Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)