Niger coup: Nobody wants war_Gen. A. Abdulsalami

Niger coup: Nobody wants war_Gen. A. Abdulsalami

ECOWAS negotiation mission leader, Gen Abubakar (ReD) Abdulsalami Abubakar addressing the State House correspondent over Niger crisis after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa , Abuja.

The leader of the ECOWAS negotiation mission to Niger Republic, General Abdulsalami Abubakar on Tuesday submitted to President Bola Tinubu the progress report of their talks with leaders of the military coup in Niger Republic, affirming that nobody wants to go to war over the current impasse in the country.

With him at the presidential villa in Abuja where they met with the president were the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

They were in the villa to brief the president in his capacity as the Chairman of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

 

At ECOWAS’ behest, General Abubakar’s delegation last weekend held a meeting with the ousted President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and the Gen. Abdouramane Tchiani-led junta in Niamey, the country’s capital.

It followed the expiration of the ultimatum given to the coup leaders to reinstate the ousted President Bazoum to office, which they ignored.

ECOWAS is now considering options including a possible military invasion of Niger Republic if the coup leader do not budge.

But speaking to correspondents after the meeting with President Tinubu, Abubakar assured that diplomacy may yet be the answer to resolving the logjam in Niger Republic.

He said interaction had begun between ECOWAS and the military in Niger, noting that the line of contact opened by subregional bloc through his appointment as envoy had been very fruitful, expressing hope that something concrete will soon come out of it.

The former Head of State said: “As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to Niger Republic and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discussed to find a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves.

“So that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr. President on our discussions in Niger.

“I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking and hopefully we’ll get somewhere”, he said.

On the insistence of the junta in remaining in power despite the ECOWAS’ demand to reinstate Bazoum, he added: “Well, like I said, we’ve started talking, they have made their own points and then I made my report to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of state and President. He will now consult with his colleagues and then the ding-dong starts and we’ll get somewhere hopefully.”

Asked if there was any possibility of avoiding a military action, Gen. Abubakar responded: “Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go war, it doesn’t pay anybody, but then again, our leaders have said if all fails and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere we’ll get out of this mess”.