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A high-powered delegation of the Economic Communities of West African States (ECOWAS) said the deposed President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum, has explained his side of the story.
The delegation, led by former Nigerian Military Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), met with the ousted President in Niamey, Niger capital, on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
They embarked on the trip to the West African country in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to achieve a peaceful resolution with the military leaders following threats of an imminent intervention by troops of the ECOWAS' standby force.
The regional body has remained adamant on its decision to deploy the military to the Niger Republic if the country's military junta failed to reinstate Bazoum.
The deposed President has been kept in detention, alongside his family members, by the putschists since the July 26 coup that removed him from power.
However, after several failed attempts, the ECOWAS delegation was able to meet General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the Niger junta.
The delegation also met with Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, who received them at the airport and led them to the presidential palace, where they also met Bazoum.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Abdulsalami said, “We met him and heard his side of the story. He told us what was done to him and the challenges he is facing. We will communicate this to ECOWAS leaders. Doors for talks are now open for a lasting solution.”
The former Head of State did not go into details of the discussion with the ousted President.
This comes a couple of weeks after CNN quoted Bazoum in a series of text messages to a friend as saying he had been “deprived of all human contact,” with no one supplying him food or medicine.
The overthrown President added that all the perishable food he was supplied with had since gone bad, and he was now eating dry pasta and rice.
But, the junta granted Bazoum access to see his doctor last week.