The military junta that seized power in Niger Republic has expressed its willingness to dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the political crisis in the country.
This was revealed by a team of Nigerian scholars from various Islamic sects who visited the coup leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, at the weekend.
The team, led by Sheikh Bala Lau, said they were in Niger on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, who approved their request to intervene.
They said they met with General Tchiani and discussed all the issues, including the ECOWAS’ demand to reinstate former President Bazoum, who was ousted by the junta on August 18.
Bala Lau, in a statement signed on Sunday, said the team’s mission was to engage in constructive dialogue and encourage the coup leader and his colleagues to embrace peace instead of war. He said they also appealed to them to respect the democratic will of the Nigerien people and release all the detainees.
In his response, General Tchiani welcomed the team’s intervention and said he was open to dialogue with ECOWAS. He said he regretted that ECOWAS leaders did not listen to his side of the story before issuing an ultimatum to quit office.
He claimed that the coup was well intended and aimed at averting a looming threat that would have affected not only Niger but also Nigeria.
He also apologised for not giving due attention to the previous team sent by President Tinubu, saying it was because they were angry about the ECOWAS ultimatum.
The Nigerian team said they hoped that their visit would pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the crisis and restore stability and democracy in Niger Republic.
