German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is concerned by the number of coups in Africa, but hopes that this does not become a pattern.
He made the remark at a closed-door meeting with the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Omar Touray, at the bloc’s headquarters in Abuja on Sunday.
There have been coups on the continent recently, with the German Chancellor saying the tendency should be stopped.
His visit, he says, is intended to enhance ties and cooperate with Nigeria. He pledged Germany’s sustained support for infrastructure development in both countries.
He also expressed concern about the continuous assaults in Israel and wants the restrictions relaxed so that victims can receive humanitarian relief.
The German leader also called for the release of Hamas hostages and emphasized that his country would offer Israel all the necessary support to protect itself.
ECOWAS President Touray, for his part, believes the German government’s investment of 81 million euros for energy transmission and socioeconomic development in the region has paid off.
He went on to say that the region’s concerns, including insecurity and social development, and how to deepen ties to address them, were at the forefront of their discussion.
He also revealed that on November 17, 2023, ECOWAS will establish an independent power plant in Cotonou, Benin Republic. He claims that it will allow Africans to trade electrical supply in a formalized manner and obtain power from less expensive sources.
However, he lamented that inter-community trade remains low and that the infrastructure gap is rising. He claims that efforts are underway to reverse the trend.