Defiant Niger junta says country will overcome ECOWAS sanctions

Niger’s new Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine says on Monday that the country will overcome the loads of sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

ECOWAS imposed lots of sanctions on Niger after the military struck recently, overthrowing the elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum.

Zeine, appointed by the country’s military leaders, said in an interview that the government thought even though it was an unfair challenge that had been imposed on the country, they should be able to overcome it “and we will overcome it.”

The military leaders earlier said the sanctions had made it difficult for people to access medicine, food and electricity, describing the measures as “illegal, inhumane and humiliating”.

But Zeine also expressed optimism about a visit by a Nigerian delegation and talks with ECOWAS, and stressed the importance of Niger’s ties with Nigeria as well as the West African bloc.

“We have a great interest in preserving this important and historical relationship and also in having ECOWAS work on purely economic issues first,” he said.