A high-level delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has arrived in Niger to engage in talks with the military officers who seized power and overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
Leading the ECOWAS delegation is former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Niger’s governing military council has also confirmed the arrival of the ECOWAS representatives.
The ECOWAS delegation, which arrived in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Saturday, comes a day after the bloc’s military chiefs expressed their readiness to intervene and reinstate Bazoum if negotiations with the coup leaders do not yield results.
Earlier in the week, ECOWAS defence chiefs convened in Accra, Ghana to finalize plans for a potential military operation aimed at restoring democracy in Niger.
According to Media Talk Africa, ECOWAS has agreed to activate a standby force as a last resort to restore democracy after the coup leaders detained Bazoum.
However, the West African bloc has stated its preference for dialogue as a means of defusing the crisis.
Meanwhile, a source close to the delegation stated that their visit intends to convey a message of determination to the military officers and hold discussions with President Bazoum.
“We are fully prepared to take action as soon as we are given the go-ahead,” stated Abdel-Fatau Musah, an ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs and security, following the meeting of the bloc’s military chiefs on Friday.
