Niger Junta Leader Says “No Going Back” on ECOWAS Exit
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, leader of Niger’s military junta, has made a bold statement: none of the three Sahel countries under military rule – Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger – will rejoin the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In a recent interview with RTN news, Tchiani justified the January 28th withdrawal, claiming ECOWAS imposed sanctions like food and medicine shortages, power cuts, and frozen funds. He paints ECOWAS as beholden to “foreign countries” and detrimental to the Sahel’s well-being.
“Leaving ECOWAS will improve the lives of our citizens,” he declared, dismissing concerns about the withdrawal’s impact on security, trade, and socioeconomic activities. “The world is not limited to ECOWAS, and God will provide for His people,” he stated defiantly.
His stance on releasing ousted President Mohamed Bazoum is equally resolute. Denying any possibility of a release, Tchiani equates it to “stabbing ourselves in the stomach.” However, this defiance stands in stark contrast to ECOWAS’s insistence on Bazoum’s reinstatement and threats of military intervention, potentially escalating regional tensions.
