APA – Niamey (Niger) Niger’s transitional Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine announced that negotiations were underway with the regional bloc to reach a compromise agreeable to both parties.
Monday evening’s announcement was made at the first press conference held in his office by Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, who was appointed to the post at the beginning of August by the military who took power following the coup d’état on 26 July 2023.
After a brief presentation on the country’s socio-economic situation, he told journalists from the national and international press, who peppered him with questions on the subject, that the government was continuing discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ensure that all the sanctions imposed on Niger were lifted “as quickly as possible.”
“We have met all three of the preconditions they set. We have been very open to dialogue. We have not stopped talks with ECOWAS and we are continuing them in the hope that, under the leadership of a number of people of goodwill, we will very quickly reach an agreement so that Niger, which did not seek to be sanctioned, can see this embargo that was imposed on it in a hurry lifted,” said the Prime Minister, pointing out that “nowhere in the ECOWAS treaty is there any provision for closing borders, cutting off electricity, preventing medicines from reaching a country, or even threatening to attack a country militarily.”
It is for these reasons, he continued, that “we ourselves felt that the exchanges should not be interrupted, and we have received the delegations on four occasions. We have travelled, and we are confident that in a few days’ time we will be able to reach an agreement very quickly so that all these measures can be lifted,” he said, indicating that the State of Niger has also referred the matter to the Community courts of UEMOA and ECOWAS to have these sanctions lifted.
Niger ready to defend itself should an intervention occur
During his press briefing, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine also raised the issue of military intervention, to which the Community organisation is threatening to resort if diplomacy fails to restore constitutional order in Niger. “As a responsible government, we expect our country to be attacked at any time, and that’s a pity,” he said, before assuring the press that all the necessary steps had been taken to enable the country to defend itself.
“It should be noted that all measures have been taken to defend the territorial integrity of our country, and moreover, it would be unfair if anyone decided to attack us,” added the transitional Prime Minister said, adding that: “we are still in talks to ensure that reason is heard, and that it is applied so that those countries that are pushing for our country to be attacked understand the reason for not doing so.”
According to the transitional Prime Minister, “of the fifteen or so members of ECOWAS, only four are calling for this military intervention. But we are determined to defend ourselves if ever there is an attack, and we mean it.”
He took the opportunity to call on “all Nigeriens who are on this path to come to their senses and above all to return to serve the country.” “At this time, the country needs all its sons and daughters, and the President of the transition has made it clear that we need the support of all the sons and daughters of the nation,” he insisted. This was an address to certain dignitaries of the former regime of Bazoum Mohamed, now in exile, who are calling on ECOWAS and the international community to intervene in Niger to restore constitutional order in the country.
AYB/ac/fss/abj/APA