President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that the regional bloc is actively pursuing diplomatic interventions to prevent bloodshed in Niger.
He made this revelation during a meeting with France’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tinubu emphasized the necessity to guide the ECOWAS bloc carefully to protect detained President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted on July 26.
Nigeria is closely monitoring the situation in Niger and is exploring diplomatic channels to avoid bloodshed.
“I am deploying all appropriate back-channel strategies to avoid bloodshed in Niger Republic.
We recognize the wishes of our people; they do not want war, but that does not mean we cannot take bold and decisive action,” Tinubu stated.
“We have a colleague and a democratically-elected leader, President Bazoum, being used as a human shield. If we are not careful, he and his family can be endangered.”
Tinubu highlighted the importance of leadership in responding to the needs and frustrations of the people, considering Nigeria’s proximity to Niger across seven Nigerian states.
In her remarks, the French minister commended President Tinubu’s leadership within the regional bloc, expressing support for ECOWAS efforts.
She stated, “We are behind you because we believe that constitutional order is a treasure for all countries, and democracy must be a reality.”
Colonna conveyed the goodwill of President Emmanuel Macron and expressed France’s readiness to expand mutually beneficial collaboration with Nigeria across multiple sectors.
She extended a formal invitation to President Bola Tinubu to attend the forthcoming Paris Peace Forum.
