Military leaders from EECOWAS will talk about the Niger Coup in Ghana.

On Thursday and Friday, the military leaders of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) will gather in Ghana to discuss the events in Niger, where Mohamed Bazoum, who had been democratically elected president, was overthrown on July 26. The meeting will take place in Ghana‘s capital, Accra, after being moved from its original August 12 date due to technical issues. As directed by the ECOWAS leaders who gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, on August 10, the military chiefs will discuss the next course of action to take to restore constitutional order in Niger. The junta, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, had been given an ultimatum by the ECOWAS leaders to free President Bazoum and his family from house arrest following the coup and give civilian authorities back control. If the junta disobeyed, they also threatened to send a standby force to Niger” as soon as possible.” The junta, however, disobeyed the order and shut down Niger‘s airspace on Sunday, barring any outside interference. Negotiations are challenging because the junta has also declined to communicate directly with ECOWAS. The international community, including the United States, United Nations, African Union, and European Unions, has harshly condemned the coup in Niger. They have expressed concern for President Bazoum and his family’s health and safety after they reportedly went several days without receiving food, electricity, or medical care. Jihadist organizations active in the Sahel region pose numerous security challenges to Nigeria, one of the world’s poorest nations. Fears of more unrest and violence in the nation and its neighbors have increased as a result of the coup. President Bazoum has been charged with corruption and poor management by some Nigerians who have expressed support for the junta. Additionally, they have voiced their opposition to ECOWAS and France, alleging their meddling in Niger‘s internal affairs. The fate of Niger and its people is anticipated to depend heavily on the ECOWAS military chiefs’ meeting. The bloc has stated that it will not put up with any attempts to undermine regional democracy while also remaining open to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.