Niger military leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani has agreed to dialogue with the Economic Community of West Africa, ECOWAS to resolve the political crisis in the country.
Gen. Tchiani who took over power three weeks ago through a military coup detat, after ousting President Muhammed Bazoum had until yesterday refused to dialogue with ECOWAS peace representatives, including a former Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar and Sultan of Sokoto, Sad Abubakar, amongst others who were drafted to the country to resolve the political logjam with the junta.
But speaking on Sunday the new prime minister of the country Ali Zeine said the junta is now ready for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
‘’We have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue. They will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us. We hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,” Zeine said yesterday.
Also, Gen. Tchiani who spoke after a meeting with some Islamic scholars led by Sheik Bala Lau, Chairman of Jam’atul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, met with the junta in Niger’s capital on Saturday, was quoted to have said, “their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter.”
According to Zeine, the initial position by the junta not to hold talks with ECOWAS officials was due to its threat to invade the country to reinstate President Bazoum.
Recall that ECOWAS heads of state and government had met twice In Abuja, Nigeria’s capital after the coup, threatening the use of force to return Bazoum back to power.
