Abdusalami’s ECOWAS Delegation Meets Niger’s Ousted President, Bazoum

The delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has met with ousted Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum.

Naija News earlier reported the delegation arrived in Niamey on Saturday for a fresh round of negotiations with the military junta in the country under the leadership of General Abdourahmane Tchiani

The delegation, which also includes the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, was received by the new Prime Minister, Ali Lamine Zeine.

According to BBC Hausa, the meeting with representative of the troubled West African Country reportedly lasted about 90 minutes.

But according to Radio France International (RFI) radio station, the ECOWAS delegation visited Bazoum and his family who have been in detention since July 26.

The radio station said the meeting with Bazoum was attended, among others, by former Nigerian head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who led the ECOWAS delegation.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Abdulsalami said Bazoum told the delegation about his ordeal, stating that the room for talks is now open for a lasting solution.

He said: “We met him and heard his side of the story. He told us what was done to him and the challenges he is facing. We will communicate this to ECOWAS leaders. Doors for talks are now open for a lasting solution.”

The former Head of State did not go into details of the discussion with the ousted president.

Recall that Bazoum was quoted by the BBC as saying he had been “deprived of all human contact” , with no one supplying him food or medicine.

According to the ousted president, he had been living without electricity, a normal occurrence for all Nigeriens after Nigeria cut off electric power in response to the coup.

Bazoum said all of the perishable food he was supplied with has since gone bad, and he was now eating dry pasta and rice.