ECOWAS Leaders Resume Talks on Niger  in Abuja

*Tinubu, 10 other presidents in attendance

* Military junta announces cabinet

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS), President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, is currently presiding over a close-door Extraordinary Summit of the regional body on the political impasse in Niger Republic.

The summit, which is holding at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja, will be deliberating on developments in neighbouring Niger Republic, particularly on the next line of actions that will follow up on the resolutions and ultimatum issued to the Nigerien junta, which last month sacked the administration of the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

The ECOWAS leaders attending the Extraordinary Session  include Presidents Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco of Guinea Bissau, Everiste Ndayishimiye of Burundi, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire and President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritinia.

Others are Presidents Nana Akofo-Ado of Ghana, Macky Sall of Senegal, Patrice Talon of  Benin Republic, Faure Essozimna and Gnassingbé Eyadéma of Togo.

The Gambia and Liberia are member-states being represented by their Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The leaders of the remaining West African nations namely Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad are not represented at the meeting as they are currently being headed by military juntas.

Meanwhile, in order to avert the escalation of the crisis and stave off the possibility of an armed intervention, several stakeholders within Nigeria and Niger have been making moves to prevail on both the ECOWAS and the military junta in Niger to approach the situation diplomatically and continue with negotiations.

On Thursday morning, however, the Abdourahamane Tchiani-led junta, announced a 21-member cabinet, to be led by Ali Mahaman Liman Zeine, who was appointed as Prime Minister by the military.

Details later…