Niger junta reopens airspace as pressure from ECOWAS reduces

Niger’s military leaders have reopened the country’s airspace, which was shut amid the pressure from the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

The regional bloc had given the junta a 7-day ultimatum for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum whose government was toppled on July 26, 2023.

Few days after calling bluff of ECOWAS, the junta had shut its airspace indefinitely.

But on Monday, a transport ministry spokesperson announced that the junta had approved reopening of the airspace.

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The closure had forced Air France and other European carriers to suspend some flights and take longer routes across Africa.

Burkina Faso and Mali had indicated interest to fight on the side of Niger in the event that ECOWAS carried out its threat to invade Niger.

However, ECOWAS has prioritized dialogue after its threat failed to rein in the military regime.

The coup, which took place in Gabon last week, made the Niger situation complex.

Although not a West African nation, Gabon was a French colony like Niger.

When he hosted top religious figures at Aso Rock last month, Chairman of ECOWAS, President Bola Tinubu, had said the Gabon coup confirmed his fear about Niger.

He also told the delegation led by Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, to return to the negotiation table with the junta.