The leadership of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has ordered its standby force to restore constitutional order in NIger Republic.
Omar Alieu Touray,the President of ECOWAS made the declaration while reading the resolution of ECOWAS on the Niger coup at the ECOWAS Extraordinary meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
It also called on the African Union, AU, partner countries and institutions to support the resolution taken by the sub-regional body.
ECOWAS said all efforts made to dialogue with Niger Republic military junta have been defiantly rejected by coup leaders as they condemn continuous detention of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members.
The resolution partly reads, “Direct the committee of the Chief of Defence Staff to activate the ECOWAS stand-by force with all its elements immediately.
“Order the deployment of the ECOWAS stand-by force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
“Underscore its continued commitment to the restoration of constitutional order through peaceful means.”
Meanwhile, ECOWAS have resolved to move into Niger Republic to flush out the putschists if they fail to release and reinstate the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum.
President of Cote d’Ivoire, Alassane Quattara, who disclosed this at the end of the summit, told journalists that action against Niger was not a Nigerian affair as ECOWAS had previously acted in cases where there have been interference with constitutional order among member states.
While noting that the subregional body had sent high-powered delegations to Niger, the military authorities have however continued to hold President Bazoum hostage, a situation he described as terrorism.
He asserted that ECOWAS will not accept coups as the place of the military is the barracks.
Quattara said if they do not allow Bazoum to exercise his mandate, “we will go ahead and push them out”.
