ECOWAS Engages Burkina Faso Coup Leaders On Way Forward
- Demands release of President Kabore, return to civil rule
- High-powered delegations storm Ouagadougou today
The Authority of Heads of State and Government, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday resolved to engage with the leaders of the Burkina Faso military junta that recently seized power in the West African nation.
Consequently, the sub-regional body is sending high-powered military and diplomatic emissaries to the nation’s capital, Ouagadougou, on Saturday (today) for situation assessments of developments in the country.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyema, who addressed journalists after an emergency virtual meeting of ECOWAS apex decision-making body, said President Muhammadu Buhari, has given full backing to the decisions.
Onyema said Nigeria fully backs the ECOWAS demand for an immediate return to constitutional rule; release of the detained President Roch Marc Kabore and total cooperation with the regional body in the process of sorting out the current crisis situation.
According to the Minister; “The position is, of course, we condemn the coup and asking for an immediate return to constitutional order, the release of the President and anybody else who’s being detained and to cooperate with ECOWAS and to be part of ECOWAS decisions”.
He said President Buhari told the ECOWAS meeting that he was in support of decisions that were taken, adding; “They condemned the coup. They demanded immediate release of the President, who is being detained, and an immediate process of return to constitutional order.
“A decision that the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS Member States should head tomorrow to Burkina Faso to assess the situation from a strategic also military angle, and to be followed immediately by a visit of a team of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of ECOWAS countries, again, to assess the situation and then report to a meeting of the Heads of States, and then a definitive decision will be taken as to how to proceed. ECOWAS is going to have to engage with the junta. Well, you have to.”
On possible consequences, if the ECOWAS’ demands are not met, Onyema said; “That’ll now be for the Summit meeting. That’s what I was saying, to now take a definitive decision because they would have had the benefit of the input of the Chiefs of Defense Staff, the benefit of the input of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, who would have gone there, and then they will be in a position to now make an informed and definitive decision.”
