Niger’s coup leader Abdourahmane Tchiani offered explanations for refusing to meet with an ECOWAS delegation led by former Nigerian military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar.
According to a statement signed by an Islamic scholar, Bala Lau, who led a team of Nigerian Islamic scholars to meet the coup leader in Niamey, Tchiani said that they (the coup leaders) were angry that ECOWAS did not listen to them before issuing them a statement. ultimatum.
However, he apologized for his action and noted that the board’s doors are open to explore diplomacy and peace to resolve the matter.
However, the statement did not indicate whether Mr. Tchiani also apologized for his decision to meet with the AU, UN and US delegations.
Mr. Tchiani claimed that the coup was well-intentioned, stating that they attacked to avert an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger but Nigeria as well. However, the statement does not quote him as saying what the imminent threat was.
The coup leader added that Niger and Nigeria were not just neighbors but brothers and sisters who should resolve issues amicably.
In their meeting, the Nigerian team and the coup leader agreed to further explore the use of dialogue to resolve the political crisis in Niger.
Newslodge reported that Islamic scholars met with Nigerian President and ECOWAS Chairman Bola Tinubu last week to discuss the use of dialogue to resolve the conflict. They also requested to be allowed to speak, a request to which the Nigerian leader agreed.
According to Sunday’s statement, Lau told the coup leader that the visit to Niger was to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders behind the coup to follow the path of peace instead of war to resolve the crisis.
Speaking to reporters in Niamey after the meeting, another member of the intervention team and chief missionary for the Ansarudeen Society of Nigeria, Abdulrahman Ahmad, said that contrary to some media reports, the team was well received by Mr. Tchiani and that both parties had fruitful discussions.
“Now we will return home and inform President Tinubu of what we have discussed and press him that war is not an option to resolve the matter.
“We believe that war is a bad wind that will bring nothing good and that peaceful resolution should prevail.”
The team was made up of scholars from various Islamic organizations in the country, including Kabiru Gombe, secretary of the Jamatul izalatul bida waikamatul sunnah; Yakubu Katsina, JIBWIS Daawah Director; Dahiru Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Bauchi and Khalid Aliya, Secretary General of Jammatul Nasril Islam.
Nigerians, and indeed the rest of the world, will be waiting to see the impact of the cleric’s visit on the situation in Niger, particularly ECOWAS’ ruling that it would use force to oust the coup plotters unless they return power. to the detainees. President Mohamed Bazoum.
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