We Won’t Rejoin ECOWAS, Release Bazoum —Niger Coup Leader, Tchiani Declared

We Won’t Rejoin ECOWAS, Release Bazoum —Niger Coup Leader, Tchiani Declared

The head of the military junta in Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has declared that the recently departed Sahel nations, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have no intentions of rejoining the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Additionally, he emphasized that the ousted president, Mohammed Bazoum, would not be released by the junta under any circumstances, despite being captured after the July 26, 2023, coup in the country.

On January 27, 2024, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger jointly announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS, signaling a shift despite efforts at reconciliation.

The foreign ministers of these countries expressed the idea of forming a confederation as a step towards eventually uniting the neighboring states into a federation.

General Tchiani has restated his commitment to this position in an interview with the RTN news channel in Niamey, the capital city.

Furthermore, he conveyed that the nation is not concerned about potential repercussions related to security, trade, and socio-economic activities following their exit from ECOWAS.

His words: “Just because we are members of the bloc, food and medicine supplies were cut off. Power was also cut off, and our funds have been frozen. So, we consulted our friends in the Sahel on exiting the bloc to better the lives of our citizens.

“That we should withdraw from the bloc that is answerable to the foreign countries. So, we have withdrawn our membership from the bloc and would never return to the union.

“Now that the world is a global village, is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.

“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would do harm to Nigeriens.”