Foreign
Niger crisis: ECOWAS Heads say all options still on table
The ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have agreed to continue the dialogue option while not dismantling the existing sanctions taken at the last summit.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, disclosed this at the end of the second extraordinary summit on the political situation in the Niger Republic on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that the military chiefs of the region have also been given further directive to activate the standby force to serve as a last option in restoring constitutional government of President Mohammed Bazoum.
‘’Direct the President of the Commission to monitor the implementation of the sanctions.
‘’Direct the Committee of the chief of defense staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately.
‘’Order the deployment of the ECOWAS standby force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.
‘’Underscore its continued commitment for the restoration of constitutional order through peaceful means,’’ he said.
He said that the ECOWAS would need the support of partner countries and institutions including the United Nation on the restoration of peace and stability in the sub-region.
Earlier in his opening speech, President Bola Tinubu, who is the Chair ECOWAS Heads of States and Government, said that the body was still optimistic of achieving a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
He said that the ECOWAS Heads were desirous of reaching a consensus on the crisis as a way of setting exemplary precedence in the region against undemocratic change of government.
‘’As you may recall, we called on the junta to rescind its decision of toppling a legitimate government. We proceeded to impose sanctions with the hope that this resolute measure would serve as a catalyst for the restoration of the constitutional order in Niger.
‘’Regrettably, the seven-day ultimatum we issued during the first Summit has not yielded the desired outcome. Only through this comprehensive assessment can we collectively chart a sustainable path towards lasting peace, stability, and prosperity in Niger.
‘’More so, in reaffirming our relentless commitment to democracy, human rights, and the well-being of the people of Niger, it is crucial that we prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach.
‘’We must engage all parties involved, including the coup leaders, in earnest discussions to convince them to relinquish power and reinstate President Bazoum.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the resolutions at the last summit include the closure of all land and air borders between 15-member ECOWAS nations and Niger.
The Niger military and anybody backing the coup will no longer enjoy any financial transaction within the region either as government or individuals, he said.
Similarly, travel ban was placed on the junta, its officials and families until the restoration of democratic institutions.
German authorities have arrested three teenagers aged 15 and 16 on suspicion of plotting a deadly Islamist terrorist attack in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, prosecutors said on Friday.
The state’s Central Office for the Prosecution of Terrorism (ZenTer NRW) sought an arrest warrant for the teenagers over the Easter holiday.
They were suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in accordance with the aims and ideology of (extremist militia organisation) Islamic State.
The detained suspects are a 15-year-old girl from Dusseldorf, a 16-year-old girl from the Märkischer Kreis district and a 15-year-old boy from the Soest district, located about 100 kilometres to the east of Dusseldorf.
A fourth suspect has reportedly been identified in the south-western German state of Baden-Württemberg, and the local court there has issued an arrest warrant.
According to the investigators, the teenagers are accused of having agreed to commit murder and manslaughter.
This is in conjunction with the preparation of a serious act of violence endangering the state.
The presumption of innocence applied in all stages of the proceedings.
Security sources told newsmen that the young people had formed a chat group, but had not drawn up a concrete attack plan for a particular time and place.
However, sources said the cities of Dortmund, Dusseldorf and Cologne were discussed as targets, and attacks with knives and Molotov cocktails on people in churches or police officers in police stations had been considered.
The sources said authorities had also conducted searches as part of the investigation.
A machete and a dagger were seized in Dusseldorf, but no evidence of the construction of incendiary devices was discovered.
Sources said the father of the Dusseldorf suspect had already attracted attention from authorities in the past because he had allegedly collected donations for the Islamic State.
The investigators declined to reveal how the suspected terrorists were tracked down, but said that foreign intelligence agencies “did not play a role.”
Russia on Monday officially recognised Vladimir Putin as a candidate for the presidential elections in March, a vote that he is all but certain to win.
The 71-year-old has led Russia since the turn of the century, winning four presidential ballots and briefly serving as prime minister in a system where opposition has become virtually non-existent.
The Central Election Commission said it had registered Putin, who nominated himself, as well as right-wing firebrand and Putin-loyalist Leonid Slutsky as candidates for the vote.
The election will be held over a three-day period from March 15 to 17, a move that Kremlin critics have argued makes guaranteeing transparency more difficult.
Following a controversial constitutional reform in 2020, Putin could stay in power until at least 2036.
Rights groups say that previous elections have been marred by irregularities and that independent observers are likely to be barred from monitoring the vote.
While Putin is not expected to face any real competition, liberal challenger Boris Nadezhdin has passed the threshold of signatures to be registered as a candidate.
However, it is still unclear if he will be allowed to run, and the Kremlin has said it does not consider him to be a serious rival.
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