In a significant development, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has disclosed that its next summit is scheduled to take place on December 10 in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The announcement was made by the organization’s presidency on Thursday.
The decision follows a crucial meeting held in Abidjan on Wednesday between the Ivorian head of state, Alassane Ouattara, and the president of ECOWAS’s commission, Omar Alieu Touray. A press release issued after the meeting highlighted the pressing regional issues that will likely dominate discussions during the upcoming summit.
The most recent summit convened at the beginning of August, focusing entirely on the situation in Niger following the military coup on July 26 that ousted the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. Subsequently, President Bazoum found himself sequestered in his residence in Niamey.
Heads of State at the previous summit had threatened military intervention to reinstate President Bazoum and imposed substantial economic and financial sanctions on Niger. The nation is currently governed by a military regime led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, expressed in an interview published on the Jeune Afrique website, “I wouldn’t say we’ve given up the military option. We have suspended it while waiting for the sanctions to produce results.”
Addressing the three-year transition period proposed by General Tiani before a return to constitutional order, Musah emphasized, “Many things are negotiable, but under no circumstances will we accept a three-year transition.” He further noted that dialogue has broken down, stating, “We have tried to meet (the Niger leaders) and talk to them. They refuse.”
It is noteworthy that out of the fifteen member countries of ECOWAS, four have been under military rule since 2020 due to coups d’état: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea. As a consequence, all four nations have been suspended from the organization and will not be represented at the upcoming Abuja summit.
