Niger Coup Leaders, Tinubu's Approved Delegation Reach Major Agreement

• The military junta in the Niger Republic have been reported to have agreed to dialogue with ECOWAS led by President Bola Tinubu
• This came after a group of Islamic scholars in Nigeria met with the junta leader on Saturday in Niamey, Nigerien capital
• The meeting came after several sanctions from ECOWAS on Niger, the coup plotters as well as their supporters

FCT, Abuja - The military junta in the Niger Republic has reportedly opened for dialogue with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS). The development was the first of its kind that the coup leaders would signal a talk with the regional bloc.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Sheik Bala Lau, the leader of the Islamic scholars from Nigeria who had visited the Niger Republic under the authority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and was shared by Dada Olusegun, the special adviser to the president on social media.

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Recall that ECOWAS had imposed sanctions on Niger, adding that the use of force was not out of the options if the military junta did not reverse the coup. Last week, a joint team of ECOWAS, the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) were rejected by the coup leaders in Niamey, the Niger Republic.

Why Niger military junta opens the door of negotiation with Niger

But the Junta was reported to have opened its door for negotiation following the influential Islamic scholars from Nigeria met with them, adding that they were ready for talks with the West African bloc.

At the meeting with the Islamic leaders was the military junta leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani and the prime minister appointed by the junta, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine.

The statement reads in part:

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War: Nigerian military high command gives fresh directive to service chiefs over Niger junta

"We believe that war is an ill wind that will not blow any good and that peaceful resolution should prevail."

See the tweet here:

Niger military leaders declared terrorists

In another related news, Legit.ng reported that the President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, labelled the coup plotters of the Republic of Niger as terrorists.

The 81-year-old Ivorian leader made this known at the 2nd ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday, August 10.

Speaking on the declaration of the standby forces deployed to Niger, Ouattara revealed that it was a collective decision necessary to help end military rule in Niger.

Source: Legit.ng