ECOWAS, Niger junta's parley fruitful, says Abdulsalami

Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the ECOWAS envoy on the situation in the Niger Republic, has revealed that constructive talks regarding a potential solution to the country’s political impasse were held with the military junta.

Abdulsalami made the statement on Tuesday after giving President Bola Tinubu a report on their trip to Niamey.

The former military dictator of Nigeria, accompanied by Dr. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, declared that the regional body will keep looking into all possibilities.

According to the retired general, the ECOWAS group discussed peaceful conflict resolution during a meeting with the military junta in Niamey on Saturday.

As you are aware, the Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS have appointed me as their envoy to the Niger Republic. Over the weekend, we spoke with the military personnel and talked about how to resolve the impasse we are in.

“It’s safe to say that our trip to Niger was highly successful and that it has provided a channel for us to begin communicating in the hopes that we will make progress,” he stated.

Abubakar went on to say that Tinubu, who would present it to the heads of state and government in the area, received the delegation’s three-year junta transitional plan.

Abubakar stated that the leaders still wish to use diplomatic means to end the Niger situation, even if it means having a conversation rather than using force.

“Hopefully, diplomacy will turn this around. There is no one who wants to go to war because it pays no one. Our leaders have stated, ‘If all fails,’ but I don’t think that will happen. We’ll manage to escape this situation,” he promised.