Niger Sanctions: Show Goodwill We’ll Advocate For You Speaker ECOWAS Parliament Tells Junta
Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
The Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis, has asked the Military Junta in Niger Republic to show goodwill by releasing President Mohamed Bazoum and his family if it wants the sanctions imposed on the country lifted.
The Speaker who was responding to the plea by members of Africans Without Borders, a Civil Society Organisation for the Africans who had visited him in his office in Abuja to prevail on him and the parliament to support their advocacy for lifting of sanctions on Niger so as to reduce the hardship people in that country face every day, tasked, the delegation to prevail on the junta to unconditionally release Bazoum and his family, and set a short transition to returning the country to constitutional governance.
The Speaker recalled that there has been no breakthrough since the military junta ousted the democratically elected government in Niger, in spite of several efforts made by the bloc.
According to him, ECOWAS is more interested in what is happening in Niger, as it had sent delegation to investigate the situation after the military coup, but needs citizens to assist lessen the effect with their intervention as well and assured them that the ECOWAS will continue to be on the side of the people.
Speaker Tunis, sent a message to the leadership of Niger through the group to clearly show some goodwill if they really want the sanctions to be lifted promising that they will lead the advocacy to ensure it is lifted by the ECOWAS Authority.
The Speaker however, clarified that they were not asking for the reinstatement of president Bazoum, but for his unconditional release from the military detention and that of his family members
Earlier, the President of African Without Borders, Mr Ziwana Abdulrahamane, had while commending the ECOWAS for its contribution to Niger so far, decried the negative effect of the sanctions on the citizenry and their neighbours.
He prayed that the region would stay strong and together in spite of the recent hard times, especially as the masses in Niger and some other countries in the sub region are facing dire economic situations.
