ECOWAS Court Orders Reinstatement of Niger's Ousted President

Mohamed Bazoum and his family, under house arrest since the July coup, are to be released following the court's binding decision.

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered the release and reinstatement of Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, who was overthrown by a military coup nearly five months ago.
Bazoum and his family have been under house arrest without access to a judge or informed of proceedings against them.
The court’s decisions are not subject to appeal and are binding on all ECOWAS institutions, including the Conference of Heads of State, Parliament and Commission, and on all national courts of member nations.
Before the coup, Niger was the West’s last major security partner in the Sahel, a region that Islamic extremist groups have turned into a global terror hot spot.
While ECOWAS has imposed strict economic and trade sanctions on Niger, it’s struggled to get concessions from the ruling junta, which has refused to release or reinstate Bazoum.