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The Niger junta, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, has welcomed a dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis in the country.
This was confirmed by the Chairman of Jam’atul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, Sheik Bala Lau, who led a delegation of Islamic scholars from Nigeria to a meeting with the military leaders in Niamey over the weekend.
The respected scholar quoted Tchiani to have said doors were open to exploring diplomacy and peace in resolving the political impasse.
This represents a major shift on the part of the junta who had hitherto rejected several efforts to initiate dialogue and negotiations with ECOWAS, the United States and other global stakeholders.
Since President Mohamed Bazoum’s government was toppled on July 26, 2023, ECOWAS has imposed several economic sanctions on Niger in a bid to force the putschists to restore democratic order.
The regional bloc also gave the military leaders an ultimatum to vacate power and reinstate Bazoum or be prepared to face military action and even went ahead to activate its "standby force" for possible deployment in the West African country.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Sunday, August 13, 2023, after the meeting, Sheik Lau said his delegation met with the coup leaders and deliberated on several issues, including ECOWAS's demand for the reinstatement of Bazoum.
Asked to confirm if the option of dialogue was discussed, the Islamic scholar quoted Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, the Prime Minister of Niger, who was appointed by the junta as saying, “Yes, for sure. That was exactly what the leader of our country told them, he did not say he was not open to dialogue.”
Zeine also expressed optimism that talks with ECOWAS would take place in the next few days.
‘’We have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue. They will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us…. we hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,” he said.
Before embarking on the trip, Sheik Lau said the delegation had informed President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, that their position is that the Niger crisis should be resolved through diplomatic dialogue.
He said based on this, he told Tchiani that his delegation came to Niger to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders involved in the coup to embrace peaceful overtures to resolve the crisis.