ECOWAS sets conditions for lifting Niger sanctions, demanding civilian rule

West African leaders have kept sanctions imposed on Niger after a July military coup and stated they would need to see progress towards a transition to civilian rule before easing the measures.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders met for a summit on Sunday with the region in crisis after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger in 2020 and two attempted coups elsewhere in recent weeks.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray said a commission from Benin, Togo and Sierra Leone would engage with the Niger regime's CNSP leadership to decide on progress towards a short transition and other conditions for lifting sanctions.

"Based on the outcomes of the engagement by the committee of heads of state with the CNSP, the authority will progressively ease the sanctions imposed on Niger," Touray said at the closing of the summit.

"Failure by the CNSP to comply with the outcomes of engagement with the committee, ECOWAS shall maintain all sanctions."

Touray said ECOWAS recognised the "dire humanitarian" situation in Niger but accused the rulers in Niamey of interfering with the flow of aid that was allowed into the country.

He did not say what would be considered an acceptable short transition for Niger back to civilian rule.

International attention has focussed on the region's most recent coup in Niger in July, when troops ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, prompting ECOWAS to impose tough sanctions and suspend trade.

Under military rule, Niger — a key Western partner in the fight against Sahel militants — has demanded that French troops based there leave, while the US still has military personnel in the country.

But recent talks with the regime in Niamey stalled. ECOWAS called for Bazoum's immediate return to power, but Niger's rulers have kept the ousted president in detention and want up to three years for a transition back to civilian rule.

Togo as mediator

The summit also discussed delayed or uncertain transitions to civilian rule and elections for Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

ECOWAS said it would lift travel restrictions on presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers from those countries in transition to aid in advancing negotiations.

At the summit, Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is the current chair of ECOWAS, called for "re-engaging with the countries under military rule on the basis of realistic and short transition plans".

Earlier this month, Nigeria said it was asking the Niger regime to free Bazoum and allow him to fly to a third country, as a step to opening talks on lifting sanctions.

But Niger's military leaders rejected that option and have asked Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe to act as a mediator.

Before Sunday's ECOWAS meeting, Niger's military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani and some of his ministers visited Togo on Friday to strengthen bilateral ties.

"Tiani is willing to talk over the length of the transition and over the situation with Bazoum," said a Togolese diplomatic source.