Niger coup: ECOWAS rejects Tchiani’s transition plan

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it won’t accept the Republic of Niger junta’s three-year power transition plan.

The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musa, disclosed this on Sunday during an interview with the BBC.

The leader of the Niger junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, stated in a televised broadcast on Saturday night that the army will only hand over power to the civilian government in the next three years.

However, Abdel-Fatau Musa, during the interview with BBC, described Tchiani’s proposal as a smokescreen for dialogue and diplomacy.

Also on Saturday, Nigeria’s former Military Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, led a delegation of ECOWAS to Niger in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful resolution with the junta.

The delegation met with the ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum after meeting Tchiani, but no truce has been reached yet.