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ALGIERS, Dec 14 (KUNA) -- Nigerien military spokesman Col. Amadou Abdramane strongly denounced the Economic Community of West African States for inviting the prime minister of the deposed regime to the ECOWAS summit meeting held in Abuja, capital of Nigeria, on Sunday.
The Nigerien transitional government, army and people are firmly opposed to such provocative acts by ECOWAS which seed to destabilize Niger, he told reporters on Thursday.
The repeated provocations can only undermine the efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the political situation in Niger, he said, noting that the West African grouping should not persist in disregarding the incumbent rulers of Niger or invite fugitive to represent the country illegally at such summits.
The ECOWAS had threatened to intervene militarily in Niger to reinstate outed president Mohammad Bazoum following the coup d'أ©tat of July 26, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani.
During its Abuja summit, the bloc mandated leaders of Togo, Sierra Leone and Benin to contact the Nigerien military leaders with a view to reaching a roadmap for ending the current standoff and lifting the economic sanctions. (end)
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