Restless West African leaders were due to meet on Saturday for talks on the Niger coup and a series of crises that have rocked the region.
Heads of state at the ECOWAS bloc’s summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja were expected to discuss politics and security in Niger, as well as “recent developments in the region”, the organization said.
Niger’s president Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a military coup last July, prompting ECOWAS to suspend trade and impose harsh sanctions.
But the bloc’s warning of military intervention was dismissed with no sign that Bazum β who is still imprisoned in the presidential palace in Niamey β is any closer to rehabilitation.
On the eve of the summit Bazoum’s lawyers urged ECOWAS to demand his release.
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Four of the bloc’s 15 member states have been hit by recent coups: Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea.
They have been banned from the organization and were not going to be represented at the summit.
The top three declared their intention to leave the bloc permanently in January, but ECOWAS called for “reconciliation” and urged them to return.
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Their new military leaders have accused former colonial power France of instrumentalizing ECOWAS, and the countries have pushed back French ambassadors and forces while turning politically and militarily toward Russia.
Ahead of the summit, ECOWAS co-founder and former Nigerian military leader General Yakubu Gowon called for “the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger”.
West Africa has also been rocked by President Macky Sall’s sudden decision to delay elections in Senegal.
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Saul faced growing calls to set a date for the presidential election after the abrupt delay of the February 25 election caused weeks of turmoil. He emphasized that his term will end as planned on April 2.
Saul was expected to attend Saturday’s summit, but it was unclear whether the leaders would discuss the crisis in Senegal.
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