On Monday, August 12, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe met with a ministerial delegation from Niger, led by Colonel Garba Hakimi, the Minister of Public Health, Population, and Social Affairs. The delegation was delivering a message of fraternity from General Abdourahamane Tiani, President of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP), which has been in power since the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023.
Colonel Hakimi stated, “We were received by President Faure Gnassingbe. This mission was sent to Togo by Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani to convey a message of fraternity to the President of Togo,” though he refrained from providing additional details.
During the meeting, Colonel Hakimi expressed the deep appreciation of the Nigerien people to President Gnassingbe for his unwavering commitment to peace and stability in West Africa and across the continent.
While many West African countries have distanced themselves from the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger since 2020, Togo has pursued a strategy of closer ties, positioning Lomé as a key mediator in addressing conflicts amid significant security challenges, including terrorist violence and political instability following coups.
In September 2023, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and subsequently announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January 2024, criticizing the organization for its perceived influence by Western powers, particularly France.
Following the first AES leaders’ summit on July 6, 2024, in Niamey, which resulted in the formation of a Confederation, ECOWAS leaders appointed President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to lead mediation efforts. However, the authorities in Bamako, Ouagadougou, and Niamey have clarified that their relations with ECOWAS are now over.
At the recent ECOWAS summit, Omar Alieu Touray, Chairman of the regional organization’s Commission, warned the AES leaders that their withdrawal could lead to “diplomatic and political isolation” and pose risks of “disintegration” within the region. In a lengthy interview, General Tiani responded by stating that any ECOWAS member that imposed measures against Nigerien nationals would face reciprocal actions.
ODL/Sf/ac/fss/abj/APA