The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders have kept sanctions imposed on Niger after a July military coup.
The regional bloc said it would need to see progress towards a transition to civilian rule before easing the measures.
The leaders met for a summit in Abuja, Nigeria with the region in crisis after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger since 2020 and two attempted coups elsewhere in recent weeks, France24 reports crediting AFP.
ECOWAS commission President Omar Touray said a commission from Benin, Togo and Sierra Leone would engage with the Niger regime’s CNSP leadership to decide on progress towards a short transition and other conditions for lifting sanctions.
“Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of heads of state with the CNSP, the authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger,” Touray said at the closing of the summit.
“Failure by the CNSP to comply with the outcomes of engagement with the committee, ECOWAS shall maintain all sanctions.”
International attention has focussed on the region’s most recent coup in Niger in July, when troops ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, prompting ECOWAS to impose tough sanctions and suspend trade.
Under military rule, Niger – a key Western partner in the fight against Sahel militants – has demanded that French troops based there leave, while the US still has military personnel in the country.
But recent talks with the regime in Niamey stalled. ECOWAS called for Bazoum’s immediate return to power, but Niger’s rulers have kept the ousted president in detention and want up to three years for a transition back to civilian rule.
Touray said ECOWAS recognised the “dire humanitarian” situation in Niger, but accused the rulers in Niamey of interfering with the flow of aid that was allowed into the country.
He did not say what would be considered an acceptable short transition for Niger back to civilian rule.
It was earlier reported that the regional bloc described the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States by some of its member states as a move to divert attention from the quest for democracy and good governance.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who is the Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday said the regional bloc would not be detracted by the member states under military rule from pursuing its collective dreams.
In his opening address at the 64th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Tinubu said, “It is important that we also review some developments in our sub-region including the move by some of our members under Military rule to float an Alliance of Sahel States.
“This phantom, push back-alliance appears intended to divert attention from our mutual quest for democracy and good governance. We refuse to be detracted from pursuing the collective dreams of ECOWAS integration as laid out in our institutional and legal frameworks.”
The Alliance of Sahel States (ASS; French: l’Alliance des États du Sahel; AES) is a mutual defense pact created between Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso on September 16, 2023.
“On the recent disturbances in Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau, let me express my solidarity with the People and Gov of Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau. I wish to underscore our unequivocal stance against any form of unconstitutional change of government in our sub-region.
“The message must go out loud and clear: military rule has become an aberration that subverts the popular will of the people. It no longer has any place in Africa. Our people must be allowed to exercise their freedom of choice without hindrance,” he said.
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