"ECOWAS Lifts Sanctions on Niger Amid West Africa Tensions"

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has lifted most sanctions imposed on Niger following last year's coup, citing humanitarian grounds to ease suffering. The bloc also urged Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso to reconsider their decision to permanently withdraw from ECOWAS, emphasizing the need for dialogue and constitutional order in the region. The lifting of sanctions is seen as a gesture of appeasement as ECOWAS attempts to prevent further fragmentation and coups in West Africa.