Femi Falana, SAN, a prominent human rights lawyer, called on ECOWAS not to launch an attack on Niger Republic in response to the recent military coup but rather impose sanctions on the military junta. Falana made the appeal during a West African Bar Association conference in Accra, Ghana.
ECOWAS and the African Union have given the military junta ultimatums to step down and restore constitutional rule. The United States and the European Union have backed ECOWAS’s actions, while the military rulers in Niger have warned against armed intervention.
The Nigerien government’s collaboration with Nigeria in counter-insurgency operations and the mediation efforts of Chad’s leader, Mahamat Déby, were highlighted as crucial elements to be considered in resolving the crisis peacefully.