Niger’s military junta have bowed to pressure an released wife and son of the deposed President Bazoum Mohammed as the ECOWAS continues to engage in a diplomatic solution to return the country to the path of democracy. The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commended the development as the right step towards solving the diplomatic isolation of the country by ECOWAS.
In a statement released to the media by Special Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Muhammad, the decision to free family members of the former president “is a logical step in bringing normalcy back to the country and the region in general. “
It could be recalled that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar said his ministry would continue to cooperate with the ECOWAS member states to exert pressure on the ruling junta to free Bazoum, saying sanctions could only be lifted if the junta released Bazoum and his family.
The move to free the former president’s wife is being seen by experts as a precursor to free Bazoum, and the economic sanctions imposed on the country in the aftermath of the coup are having disastrous impact on its economy and security.
The statement also called on the government led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani to hasten the release of Mohammed Bazoum from its custody and allow him to fly to a third country as a step towards further talks on lifting sanctions and to initiate the transition to constitutional rule in the interest of the people, peace and stability of Niger and the region.
