ECOWAS Condemns Junta’s Intent to Charge Pres. Bazoum with “Treason”

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) strongly rejected, in a release published on Monday, Niger’s junta intention to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason over his exchanges with foreign leaders and international organizations.
The alliance called for the release and reinstatement of the “democratically elected” President of Niger, describing his detention as “illegal”, added the same source.
ECOWAS labeled the junta’s move as a provocation and a contradiction of its alleged willingness to bring back the constitutional order via peaceful means.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane appeared on national television on July 26th to announce a coup d’état in Niger, declaring that the military had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions, and closed the country’s borders.
The coup leaders jailed Bazoum and disbanded the elected government, sparking outrage from world powers and West Africa’s regional grouping ECOWAS, which vowed last week to take military action if diplomacy fails.