General Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the coup in the Niger Republic, decided to hold talks with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following a conversation with Nigerian Islamic experts headed by Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, the national leader of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa Iqamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS).
According to the Vanguard, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, the prime minister of the Niger Republic, said that General Tchiani authorized negotiations with ECOWAS and expressed confidence that they would happen soon.
“We have reached a consensus, and the president of our nation has approved of the dialogue. They will now return and let the President of Nigeria know what they learned from us. We anticipate them (ECOWAS) visiting us shortly to talk about how the sanctions put in place against us will be lifted, he added.
Based on a report in the Voice of Nigeria (VON), the Nigerian Intervention Team met with the coup leaders in Niger over the weekend, and both parties agreed to strengthen the possibility of negotiation in addressing the nation’s political issue. The team also included prominent Islamic experts from the country.
The Islamic Ulammas, commanded by Sheik Bala Lau, are reported to have discussed all the concerns, including the demands from ECOWAS leaders that former President Bazoum be reinstalled, during a lengthy meeting with General Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, the capital of Niger.
President Bola Tinubu approved the clerics’ request to intercede, according to Bala Lau, National Chairman of Jamatul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, who stated the clerics were in Niger on his behalf.
Sheik Lau claimed that the team had already communicated their opinion that the political deadlock in Niger should be settled through discussion with President Tinubu, who also serves as the chairman.
Therefore, he explained to General Tchiani that the purpose of the trip to Niger was to engage in productive discussion to persuade him and other military figures who were involved in the coup to choose the route of peace rather than violence to end the conflict.
General Tchiani responded, giving the team an open invitation and praising their action. He declared that they were willing to consider using diplomacy to settle the conflict.
General Tchiani still claimed that the coup leaders found it difficult that the ECOWAS leaders were unable to hear their side of the story before giving them the order to resign.
He asserted that the coup was well-intentioned and that it was carried out to thwart an impending threat that would have affected both Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
He also expressed regret for not giving the delegation assigned by President Tinubu, who was accompanied by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), the respect that they deserved due to their anger over the ECOWAS threat.
Temmyabbe (
)
