The military leader of Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tiani, on Saturday said that the people of his country, along with neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, have “irrevocably turned their backs” on the West African bloc, ECOWAS.
He disclosed this at the opening of a summit in Niamey between the three Sahelian nations who pulled out of the larger group earlier this year.
“Our people have irrevocably turned their backs on ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States),” said Tiani.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, had on Thursday, lamented that despite several efforts being made by the regional bloc to bring Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger back to the fold, the trio are not showing any sign of returning.
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the 92nd Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the bloc, in Abuja, he said ECOWAS was yet to establish a framework for negotiation with the authorities in the three Sahelian countries on their decision to withdraw their membership from the Community.
On January 28, the three military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced they would leave the ECOWAS.
“Despite our entreaties, in the form of softening of sanctions, invitation of the governments to technical meetings, and request for meetings, we have not yet gotten the right signals from these Member States,“ Touray said.
