Niger coup leader says Mali, Burkina Faso won’t rejoin ECOWAS 

Leader of the military junta in Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has revealed that none of the three Sahel countries, which recently pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS), would seek readmission to the group.

He also affirmed that the junta ‘will never’ release the deposed president, Mohammed Bazoum, who was taken hostage following the July 26th, 2023, coup in the country. 

On January 27th, 2024, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger announced their plans to withdraw their membership of ECOWAS, despite repeated efforts at reconciliation.

Following their withdrawal, the foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger recommended the creation of a confederation as part of the long-term goal of uniting the West African neighbors within a federation.

Gen. Tchiani reiterated his commitment to this stance during an interview he gave to the RTN news channel in the capital city of Niamey.

His words: “Just because we are members of the bloc, food and medicine supplies were cut off. Power was also cut off, and our funds have been frozen. So, we consulted our friends in the Sahel on exiting the bloc to better the lives of our citizens.

“That we should withdraw from the bloc that is answerable to the foreign countries. So, we have withdrawn our membership from the bloc and will never return to the union.”

“Now that the world is a global village, is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.

“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would harm Nigeriens,” he added.