Sanctions against Niger will be withdrawn if junta demonstrates goodwill – ECOWAS

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

The punishment for the Niger Republic would be suspended, according to Mr Sidie Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, provided that President Mohamed Bazoum is freed by the military junta.

During a courtesy visit in Abuja, the Speaker assured a 19-member group from Africans Without Borders.

The purpose of the tour was to persuade the parliament to back the easing of sanctions against Niger to lessen the suffering of the nation’s common citizens.

The speaker tasked the delegation with forcing the junta to unconditionally release Bazoum and his family and establishing a timeline for the swift restoration of constitutional government.

Tunis claims that despite multiple attempts by the bloc, there hasn’t been a favourable outcome after the military dictatorship overthrew Niger’s democratically elected government.

“We are more interested in what is happening in Niger, we have sent a delegation to investigate the situation after the military coup, but we need you as citizens to help to lessen the effect with your intervention as well.

“We represent you as Members of the ECOWAS Parliament; citizens diplomacy in my opinion is the best form of diplomacy that if used well can solve a whole lot of problems, not only in this sub-region but in the entire continent of Africa.”