ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Chiefs of Defence Staff from West African nations have gathered at the Defence headquarters in Nigeria, Abuja, for a crucial meeting.
This is following the coup in Niger and the demand for the release of detained President Bazoum and the junta’s withdrawal from power.
General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, is chairing the two-day ECOWAS regional bloc meeting.
The tension rose when the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders imposed sanctions on Niger and warned of potential use of force against the junta if they fail to restore President Mohamed Bazoum within a one-week ultimatum.
Present at the meeting are Chiefs of Defence Staff from Nigeria, Ghana, the Gambia, Togo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cape Verde, Senegal, and Benin Republic, while representatives from Niger, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Bissau are notably absent.
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The ECOWAS statement issued after the regional leader’s summit emphasized “zero tolerance” for coups.
ECOWAS also pledged to take all necessary measures to restore constitutional order if their demands are not met within the stipulated time.
This marks the first time ECOWAS has threatened military action to counter coups in the region.