Nigeria / ECOWAS heads of state to hold extra-ordinary summit in Abuja

 

 

 

 

Nigeria / ECOWAS heads of state to hold extra-ordinary summit in Abuja

 

 

ABUJA, Nigeria, September 3, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — ECOWAS Heads of State and Government are to meet on Saturday, 5th September 2009

in Abuja in an extra-ordinary summit to hold talks on Niger which has been embroiled in a

constitutional crisis.

The summit will consider the report of the ad-hoc ministerial committee which was set up

by the Mediation and Security Council at its last meeting on Monday, 24th August 2009 in

Abuja.

Composed of Benin, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the ad-hoc ministerial

committee which arrived in Niamey on Saturday, 29th August 2009 was mandated, among

others, to work with all political stakeholders in Niger, including the National Council for

Dialogue, towards the restoration of dialogue and consensus which characterized the

political environment before the current crisis.

Specifically, the ad-hoc ministerial committee was commissioned to gather all relevant

information that may assist in arriving at an accurate assessment of the political situation in

Niger; hold consultations with the President of Niger, government officials, civil society

groups, the media, traditional leaders and other relevant political stakeholders in the

country as well as draw up a report and a set of recommendations based on the

observations made during the mission.

The ad-hoc ministerial committee’s report is expected to include the status of political

activists who were detained for their opposition to the actions of President Mamadou

Tandja. The Mediation and Security has since called for their release.

The extra-ordinary summit is yet another effort by ECOWAS leaders to have the Nigerien

authorities to respect the 2001 ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and

Good Governance as well as the country’s Constitution.

PRESS RELEASE

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE

Published by: Department of Communication, ECOWAS Commission

No 101 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District Abuja – Nigeria

Publé par: Le Départment de la Communication, La Commission de la CEDEAO

No 101 Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Asokoro District Abuja – Nigeria

Tel: (234) (9)3147641 Fax: (234) (9)3147641/3005 E-mail: info@ecowas.int

In June 2009, ECOWAS Chairman and President of Nigeria, Musa Yar’adua, sent

President Tandja a special message through former Nigerian Head of State, retired Gen.

Abdulsalami Abubakar, to convey the concerns of ECOWAS and Nigeria over the

constitutional crisis in Niger.

The regional Council of the Wise and a tripartite delegation comprising the President of the

ECOWAS Commission, the Special Representative of the United Nation’s Secretary

General to West Africa and an African Union envoy to Niger also met with President

Tandja in Niamey towards resolving the crisis.

 

SOURCE 

Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS)