Military heads of West African countries have begun a two-day meeting in Accra, to continue deliberations on their next action following a military takeover in Niger.
This development follows last week’s approval by the bloc’s leaders to send a “standby force to restore constitutional order” to Niger, whose elected president was deposed by the military on July 26.
The junta had rejected an ECOWAS deadline to withdraw its forces on August 6 and instead announced closing Niger’s airspace, vowing to defend the country against any foreign attack.
Despite warnings from ECOWAS urging the military to transfer control to the President who was duly elected, Mohamed Bazoum, the president of Niger, has remained in the care of the presidential guard since July 27.
The Chiefs of Defense Staff of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger are not present at the meeting as a result of sanctions that have been imposed on them following coups in those countries.
The meeting is expected to conclude on Friday August 18, 2023 before a final decision is taken.
