Niger’s Junta Chief Seeks Audience With ECOWAS Leaders

The leader of a group of Nigerian Islamic scholars says Niger’s military junta wants an audience with the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) to explain its motivation for overthrowing Niger’s democratically president. Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau and his delegation met with Niger military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani on Sunday. He tells VOA’s James Butty, the delegation had fruitful discussions and that the junta wishes that ECOWAS had given them an audience before imposing sanctions and threatening military intervention.