According to the head of the military junta in Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, none of the three Sahel countries would return to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He made this known in an interview granted to the RTN news channel in Niamey, the Nigerien capital Monday, February 12 2024.
It would be recalled that on January 28, the military regimes in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger publicly announced their immediate exit from the West African bloc, ECOWAS.
A statement earlier issued by the leaders of the three Sahel nations read in parts; “sovereign decision” to leave the Economic Community of West African States “without delay”.
General Tchiani, noted further; Just because we are members of the bloc, food and medicine supply was cut off. Power was also cut off and our own funds have been frozen. So, we consulted our friends in the Sahel on exiting the bloc to better the lives of our citizens.
That we should withdraw from the bloc that is answerable to the foreign countries. So, we have withdrawn our membership from the bloc and will never return to the union.”
While reacting to the consequences of its withdrawal on security, trade and socio-economic activities, Tchiani who noted that the world is a global village and that it does not revolve within ECOWAS, assured that God will feed every human He created.
He emphasized that Mohamed Bazoum, the former Niger president who was overthrown by members of his presidential guard on July 26 and detained with his family since then, would not be released.
He added, “We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would do harm to Nigeriens”.
