A significant division has broken out within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament over the approach that should be adopted to address the political developments in the Republic of Niger.
The ECOWAS Parliament converged for a virtual Extraordinary Session on Saturday, August 12, 2023, to discuss possible means to restore democratic rule in the West African country.
Niger has been under military rule since July 26, 2023, when the democratically elected president of the country, Mohamed Bazoum, was overthrown by the presidential guard led by Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani.
The regional bloc had imposed several economic sanctions on Niger and asked the junta to release the detained President and reinstate him or be prepared to face military action.
During its extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday, August 10, 2023, ECOWAS resolved to activate its standby force in another move toward military intervention in the neighboring country.
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However, the ECOWAS Parliament failed to reach a consensus on the matter on Saturday, as some parliamentarians backed the proposed military option against the Niger junta while others took an opposing position.
A total of 22 parliamentarians were present at the Saturday meeting, which seemed to have ended in a deadlock.
While a section of the parliament proposed dialogue and diplomacy as the best resolution, others called for more decisive actions that would curb the growing knack for military incursion in the region’s democratic affairs.
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