By Saio Marrah
Press Secretary in the Office of the President, Solomon Jamiru, has affirmed the country’s commitment to the position taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding the coup in Niger.
The press secretary said this to journalists at his first press conference at State House in Freetown on Friday 11th August 2023, since he was appointed by President Julius Maada Bio.
A communiqué from an extraordinary session of ECOWAS leaders in Abuja, Nigeria on Thursday indicated that the bloc will continue its diplomatic engagement and that any use of force will always be a last resort.
Jamiru said they are looking forward to a speedy restoration of constitutional order and the release without conditionalities of the elected Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members.
He however noted that among the other decisions by ECOWAS were directives for the activation of a standby force.
President Bio was among other heads of state at the summit. “Sierra Leone as we know has always aligned with the ECOWAS positions when it comes to peace and security in the sub-region,” Jamiru stated
Responding to questions that Sierra Leone’s seemingly inconsistent posture about coups as seen in the support of the Guinea coup leaders, whilst opposing the Niger situation, Jamiru said Niger’s case is ECOWAS’ position which Sierra Leone has subscribed to.
He noted that President Bio’s engagement with the Guinean coup leader was primarily to demonstrate to the world that Guinea is Sierra Leone’s immediate neighbor and that anything bad that happens there will definitely affect Sierra Leone’s peace and security.
According to him, it was important for President Bio to have played a role, but insisted that the president was not legitimizing a coup.
He affirmed that the situation in Niger speaks for and on behalf of a wider West African context.
The communique from the ECOWAS summit gave the Niger junta leaders another deadline up to Sunday to restore civilian government or risk military intervention.
Nigeria’s President and Chair of the ECOWAS, Bola Tinubu, told the summit “No option has been taken off the table,” including the use of force.
This summit happened four days after the first deadline to return ousted President Bazoum to power or the junta face potential military intervention, expired.
Meanwhile, the coup leaders headed by General Abdourahmane Tiani reportedly formed a new government on Wednesday.
Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine heads the 21-member government.
Whilst ECOWAS and Western Powers condemned the coup, other junta-led countries in the region, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea declared their support for the putsch. Mali and Burkina Faso have further made it clear that any military intervention in Niger would mean a declaration of war on their countries. Algeria has also opposed the use of force to oust the junta.
President Bazoum was elected into office in 2021, before the head of his presidential guard; General Tiani ousted him on 26th July 2023.
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