"Former Nigerian President Heads ECOWAS Delegation to Niger for Peace Talks After Coup D'état"

Former Nigerian military head of state, Alhaji Abdulsalami Abubakar, along with a delegation of prominent ECOWAS leaders, has traveled to Niamey, the capital of Niger, to engage in peace talks following the unprecedented coup that occurred in July. The delegation, led by Abdulsalami, arrived in Niamey on August 2, according to reports by TheCable.

Accompanying Abdulsalami on the mission were Muhammadu Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, and Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS commission. The coup in Niger resulted in General Abdourahmane Tiani taking control of the country, having previously served as the head of the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum's presidential guard.

After seizing power and detaining President Bazoum, General Tchiani accused Bazoum of corruption and misgovernance during his term in office. ECOWAS made efforts to secure President Bazoum's release from detention by sending President Patrice Talon of Benin and the Chadian Leader Mahamat Déby for negotiation and appeal. Unfortunately, the coup leaders rejected these attempts, and President Bazoum remained in detention.

In response to the situation, ECOWAS held an emergency meeting on July 30 and decided to impose sanctions on the Republic of Niger. These sanctions included suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS member states and Niger, threatening military intervention, and giving a 7-day ultimatum for the restoration of power to President Bazoum.

As a consequence of the sanctions, Niger experienced power shortages, as Nigeria's government cut its electricity supply to the country through Nigelec, Niger's electricity company.

The situation has further escalated tensions in the region, with Mali and Burkina Faso, both currently under military rule, warning that any additional interventions in Niger would be considered a declaration of war against them.