Niger's Prime Minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine is asking for the postponement of the meeting with the ECOWAS until January 25 in order to conduct a national dialogue, media reported.
On January 3, the prime minister launched the national dialogue to determine the duration of the transition period in Niger and the issues that need to be resolved before organizing possible elections. After the national consultations, the Nigerian authorities plan to meet with the ECOWAS delegation and, possibly, inform it of the decisions taken, the media said.
In December 2023, the prime minister said in an interview with Sputnik that the country expected to resume negotiations with ECOWAS in January and called for the early lifting of sanctions.
In late July, the military seized power in Niger and overthrew the country's President Mohamed Bazoum. In response, ECOWAS threatened to use force if the rebels did not reinstate Bazoum. The bloc also imposed sanctions on the nation, which the new Nigerian leadership called "inhuman" and "unjust".
After the coup, amid anti-French demonstrations in the country, Niger began to sever ties with its former colonizer, France. In particular, a military and tax cooperation between the two nations were ceased. Nigerien authorities also secured the withdrawal of the French troops, deployed in the West African country, and the expulsion of the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte.