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Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Nigeriens Abroad, Yaou Bakary Sangaré expressed hopes that the discussions with the new mediators appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will will be fruitful and lead to the lifting of economic sanctions imposed on Niger.
Sangaré said during press statements: “I think that in the beginning there was a misunderstanding, but ECOWAS retracted its initial positions and appointed new mediators, namely Togo and Sierra Leone.”
He added, “We have already held the first meeting with them, and on January 10 we will hold the second meeting and we are certain that we will reach a constructive result, and this will be behind us.”
The minister expressed his hope that the results of the negotiations with the ECOWAS would lead to the lifting of the economic sanctions imposed on his country.
Regarding the conditions of the transitional period in Niger, Sangaré said: “We have identified the axes on which we intend to build the transitional period and soon we will launch a comprehensive national dialogue, the results of which will determine the transitional period, but the president – head of the military junta, Abderrahmane Tiani- had previously announced that the transitional period will not last more than three years.”
Prime Minister of Niger Ali Lamine Zeine had previously stated that talks with the ECOWAS were expected to resume by next January, pointing out that the risk of military intervention in Niger still stands.
On July 26, Nigerien army soldiers announced on state television that they had isolated the country’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, and detained him at his residence, closing the borders, and imposing a curfew in the country.
In return, the ECOWAS group imposed sanctions on Niger, and hinted at the possibility of militarily intervening to restore Bazoum to his position.
The United States is looking for new allies in Africa after its withdrawal from Niger