Niger Coup Leader Tchiani Okays Dialogue With ECOWAS

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

With the present situation, it seems there is a ray of hope for a peaceful resolution of the standoff between the military junta in the Niger Republic and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, as the coup leader has accepted to open the door for dialogue.

This is according to a statement by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the Niger Republic junta, during a meeting on Saturday with Nigeria’s intervention team.

The meeting comprises Bida Waikamatu and other Islamic scholars across Nigeria.

Recall, the scholars had earlier met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ECOWAS chairman, and had offered to intervene in the skyrocketing crisis in Niger Republic.

This intervention by the Islamic scholars followed the crisis between Niger, the coup leaders and other ECOWAS body.

However, in a statement on Sunday, August 14, the leader of the intervention team, Sheikh Lau, stated that Tchiani told the Ulammas that the junta body was open to exploring diplomacy.

General Tchiani lamented that it’s painful that the ECOWAS didn’t hear their side of the issue before knocking them with sanctions.