The joint delegation of the Wahhabi and Tijani sects in Nigeria met with the junta leader Abdurrahmane Tchiani in Niger.
Speaking to the Nigerian press after the meeting, Abdullahi Bala Lau, the leader of the Jamaat-ü Izaleti’l-Bid’a and Ikameti’s-Sunna (JIBWIS) group, stated that the meeting lasted about 3 hours.
Noting that Tchiani agreed to have a dialogue with ECOWAS during the meeting, Lau said, “Tchiani did not provide information on when the dialogue would take place, but he said that they are always ready for dialogue.”
Both negotiation and military intervention are on the table
ECOWAS, at the summit it held in Nigeria on 10 August, emphasized that the way of negotiation is still open for the resolution of the crisis in Niger, but drew attention to the fact that the use of force is still on the table as a last resort.
In this context, the defense ministers of the ECOWAS member countries were instructed to “make and deploy the vigilance forces”.
Information on where and when the reserve forces would be deployed was not shared.
Military intervention was on the agenda for the first time on 30 July.
ECOWAS convened for the first time on July 30 after the military seized power in Niger on July 26, and gave the junta 7 days to release President Mohammed Bazum and return to duty.
The one-week deadline given by ECOWAS to the military junta expired as of midnight on 6 August. ECOWAS stated that they would consider every option, including military intervention, if their demands were not met during this period, and contrary to expectations, they did not initiate a military operation.
The possibility of military intervention also drew the reaction of other junta governments in West Africa.
Burkina Faso and Mali, where there are soldiers in the administration, warned ECOWAS that military intervention in Niger means waging war against them, in a joint statement they published, and Guinea also made a statement of support for the junta.