Restore Constitutional Power To Focus On Securing Niger, ECOWAS Tells Coup Leaders After Jihadist Attacks, Killing Of Soldiers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) has asked the military leaders of the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional power to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and focus on the fragile security in the country as their main duty.

The West African bloc said this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, while reacting to the reported killing of 17 Niger soldiers on Tuesday in a jihadist ambush in the country.

The Nigerien Defence Ministry in a statement on Tuesday said that an army detachment was “the victim of a terrorist ambush near the town of Koutougou” in the Tillaberi region near Burkina Faso, adding that 20 other soldiers were wounded and that all the casualties had been evacuated to the country’s capital, Niamey.

The Nigerien army however said that more than 100 of the assailants who were travelling on motorbikes, were “neutralized” during their retreat.

Reacting to the incident, ECOWAS led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, condoled with the families of the murdered soldiers and asked the Niger coup plotters to return power to the democratically elected president.

“ECOWAS has learnt with sadness various attacks by armed groups in the Republic of Niger that have led to the death of several Nigerien soldiers.

“ECOWAS condemns these attacks and conveys its deepest condolences to the people of Niger and the families of the soldiers who have lost their lives.

“ECOWAS calls on the CNSP-military leadership in Niger to restore constitutional order in order to focus on the security of the country that has become increasingly fragile since the attempted coup d’etat against the democratically elected President, H.E. Mohamed Bazouma,” ECOWAS statement read.