ECOWAS Court Strikes Out Suit On Niger Sanctions

The ECOWAS Court of Justice on Thursday struck out a lawsuit regarding the sanctions imposed on Niger following the military coup on July 26, 2023.

The court presided over by Justices Edward Asante, Dupe Atoki, and Sengu Koroma, determined that the matter was moot as the sanctions had already been lifted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The suit, initiated on August 8 by the Incorporated Trustees of Egalitarian Mission for Africa (EMA), international relations professor Bola Akinterinwa, and lawyer Nuhu Dantani, was dismissed during proceedings where Ifunanya Okeke and Emmanuel Patrick represented the applicants.

The applicants sought relief against the sanctions, which included electricity cuts and restrictions on movement imposed by ECOWAS in response to the coup.

In court, Okeke moved for discontinuation of the suit, citing that the original issues had been overtaken by events, notably the restoration of electricity and the lifting of movement restrictions in Niger.

This led to the court’s decision to strike out the case, with the respondents, represented by Mustapha Abubakar and Oluwarotimi Ibitoye from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, offering no objection and not seeking costs.

Originally, the plaintiffs had argued that the sanctions were unlawful and violated international laws.

They were part of broader measures that included border closures, freezing of central bank and state assets, and suspension of commercial transactions aimed at restoring democratic order in Niger.

ECOWAS had previously lifted all sanctions on February 24, citing humanitarian reasons, which ultimately influenced the court’s decision to deem the suit irrelevant and dismiss it.