Military coup: ECOWAS parliament seeks review of sanctions against Niger Republic
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has urged the region’s heads of state and government to ease sanctions imposed on Niger Republic.
Last July, the ECOWAS Head of State imposed sanctions on the Niger Republic in response to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum by a group of military personnel led by former Presidential Guard Commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
These sanctions included the suspension of all commercial transactions with Niger, the freezing of its state assets in the regional central bank, freezing state and state enterprises’ assets in commercial banks, and the suspension of financial assistance with regional development banks.
The ECOWAS sanctions also led to Nigeria cutting off power supply to the country on the 80-megawatt Birnin-Kebbi line, while Ivory Coast suspended imports and exports of Nigerien goods.
Senator Ali Ndume, Chief Whip of the Senate, told journalists following the opening session of the senate that sanctions have been imposed on seven states in Nigeria, seven of which border Niger Republic.
Ndume said: “Children and women have been exposed to untold hardship. No meaningful progress has been made in resolving this issue. We are appealing to ECOWAS states to lift the sanction and open the closed border between Niger and Nigeria because it is the poor that are suffering. Let me say this is a collective decision by concerned citizens.
“This Press conference is simply an appeal to the ECOWAS Heads of State to consider the humanitarian situation and resolve the political impasse in Niger.”
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