The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS Parliament has set up a mediation committee to interface with the military junta in Niger Republic led by General, Abdourahmane Tchiani who forcefully took-over power as well as detained the country’s democratically elected President, Mohammed Bazoum.
The Committee set up at the end of the 2023 First Virtual Extraordinary Session by the ECOWAS Parliament when most of the regional lawmakers could not agree with the suggestion by the Speaker, Sidie Mohamed Tunis for the adoption of the recent position of ECOWAS to activate it military component to reinstall the toppled President.
After over five hours of deliberations without finding a common ground on concerns expressed by Parliamentarians, with majority of them strongly advised on diplomacy instead of military intervention the law maker from Liberia, Hon. Edwin Melvin Snowe advised that the committee be constituted and be led by the Speaker.
The Speaker however, declined the leadership of the Committee but directed the 1st Deputy Speaker of the Parliament who was Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase of Nigeria to lead the mission.
The Idris Wase led committee is expected to hold consultation with the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria to harmonise their position before departing for Niamey, Niger Republic to meet with the leader of the coup and his team.
Members of the team to broker deal with the Niger Junta are: the 3rd Deputy Speaker, Hon. Memounatou Ibrahima from Togo; Hon. Edwin Melvin Snowe from Liberia; Hon. Foutoumatta Njai from Gambia and Senator Ali Ndume from Nigeria.
Others are, ECOWAS Parliamentarians from Senegal, Ghana, Cape Verde, Benin Republic and Guinea Bissau.
The Speaker also mandated the committee to “discuss with the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of the Heads of State and Governments and fashion out modalities of its mediation and dialogue with respect to the Niger Republic issue, including those other countries in the sub-region under military rule and present such within the next two days.
Giving an “update on the political situation in the Republic of Niger” earlier, the Honourable Speaker noted that the “aftermath carries a high risk of instability, democratic backsliding and severe socio-economic consequences due to sanctions.
“The need to take into consideration security challenges that may arise because of instability in Niger and other countries cannot be overemphasized.
“Niger’s fall to military rule, coupled with the show of solidarity from Mali, Burkina Faso, and armed groupings, could render the ECOWAS region susceptible to danger from armed militia and terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, Boko Haram insurgency, as well as militancy and banditry”, he concluded.
Earlier, some members of the regional parliament called on the Nigerian Government to restore electric power that it disconnect to Niger as well as open its boarders for the free movement of goods and persons as enshrined in the ECOWAS protocol.
They also expressed worries that it is the vulnerable poor and weak citizens that are suffering the brunt of the sanctions imposed on Niger.
