Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the military junta in Niger, has sworn that his nation will not re-join the Economic Community of West African States.
None of the three Sahelian countries would re-join the ECOWAS, he further pledged.
Tchiani made this claim on Monday during an interview with the nation’s leading news outlet, RTN, in Niamey.
In January, the military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced their quick exit from ECOWAS, claiming that it was a “sovereign decision” to leave the ECOWAS “without delay”.
They claimed that ECOWAS had become a threat to its member states.
“Eager to achieve integration between the states of the sub-region and driven by the ideals of brotherhood, solidarity, mutual aid, peace and development, their Excellencies General Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, General Moussa Traoré and Lieutenant Colonel Seyni Kountchė, respectively Heads of State of Upper Volta (current Burkina Faso), Mali and Niger, created with 12 of their peers, on May 28, 1975, in Lagos, the Economic Community of West African States.
“After 49 years of existence, the valiant people of Burkina, Mali and Niger note with much regret, bitterness and great disappointment that their organisation has moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism.”
However, the ECOWAS Commission said it was not aware of the withdrawal of the three countries.
It added that “Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority.”
On the consequences of its withdrawal on security, trade and socio-economic activities, Tchiani said, “Now the world is a global village and is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.
“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would harm Nigeriens,” he added.
