The United States (US) Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has asked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to put more pressure on the Niger Republic coup leaders to ensure that Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s deposed president is reinstated.
Blinken commended the leadership of the chairman of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu, for the decisions taken so far to reinstate the toppled Nigerien leader.
Blinken’s spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said this in a statement on Monday even as the ECOWAS was insisting that Bazoum remained the legitimate President of Niger.
The bloc condemned the treason charges levelled against the deposed leader by the junta on Sunday night.
The allegation came 24 hours after the military leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, agreed to explore diplomatic dialogue to resolve the political crisis, raising fears that this new turn of events might threaten the budding rapprochement achieved by the Islamic clerics.
Miller in his statement explained that Blinken spoke with President Tinubu on Monday.
He said, “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke today with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.
“The Secretary commended President Tinubu’s leadership of the Economic Community of West African States Second Extraordinary Summit on the situation in the Republic of Niger.
“He noted the importance of maintaining pressure on the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland to restore constitutional order and to see President Mohamed Bazoum and his family released.”
