Trouble looms in the Republic of Niger as negotiations between the General Abdourahmane Tchiani-led military junta and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have failed to reach a resolution on the return of democracy in the country.
In response to the deadlock, the junta announced its plan to recall Niger's Ambassador to Nigeria, Togo, France, and the United States. Additionally, the junta is pushing to evict French and US troops from Niger while declaring an end to all Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreements between France and Niger.
The military junta, led by General Tchiani, took power after detaining President Mohamed Bazoum in a palace coup on July 26, 2023. Tchiani subsequently declared himself the Head of State.
In an effort to resolve the political crisis, ECOWAS dispatched two missions. One delegation, led by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), engaged with the coupists and other parties in Niger's capital, Niamey. The other delegation, led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, engaged with the leaders of Libya and Algeria concerning the Niger crisis.
However, despite the efforts made, the negotiations have not yielded a resolution, leading to the junta's decision to recall ambassadors and terminate agreements with France.
The situation remains tense as the international community closely monitors developments in Niger.
