2023-07-31 05:36:59
Niamey
Putsch in Niger: “The sanctions will hurt a lot”
West African countries on Sunday set a one-week ultimatum to the coup junta in Niger, saying they did not rule out a “use of force” and ordered an economic blockade.
Posted31 July 2023, 07:36
Supporters of the junta demonstrated in front of the Nigerien National Assembly in Niamey, on July 30, 2023.
REUTERS
The pressure increases every day a little more on the new proclaimed strong man of Niger, the putschist general Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, at the origin of the fall of Mohamed Bazoum detained by the putschists for four days. France, which currently has some 1,500 soldiers in this key country in the anti-jihadist fight and also provides 20% of European uranium, welcomed “the decisions taken by the heads of state” of the Economic Community of the States of the West Africa (ECOWAS). This West African bloc, the African Union, and Western countries, including France and the United States, do not recognize the “authorities” resulting from the putsch and call for a return to constitutional order. An extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (of which Niger is a member with 14 other countries) was held in Abuja on Sunday, under the aegis of the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, at the head of the regional institution since the beginning of the month. ECOWAS demanded the “immediate release” of President Bazoum and the “complete return to constitutional order”, according to the resolutions read at the end of the summit. If these requests “are not met within one week”, ECOWAS “will take all necessary measures” and “these measures may include the use of force”, according to these resolutions.
Washington expressed its “unwavering support” for Mr. Bazoum, assuring that the coup jeopardized the “partnership” between the United States and Niger. “We join ECOWAS and the leaders of the region in demanding the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family and the restoration of all state functions to the legitimate and democratically elected government”, declared the secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
The regional organization also decided to “suspend all commercial and financial transactions” between its member states and Niger, and to freeze the assets of “military officials involved in the attempted coup.
“The time is for action”
“Now is not the time for us to send out warning signs,” Mr. Tinubu said, “the time is for action.” “The sanctions will hurt our country very badly,” repeated Nigerien Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou in an interview with the France 24 channel on Sunday. He said he was “optimistic” regarding the ongoing mediations.
The leader of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, whose country is not a member of ECOWAS, but which is a neighbor of Niger, also a military power in the Sahel allied with France, took part in this summit. He then spent a few hours in Niamey, to “see what he can bring to the settlement of the crisis”, according to N’Djamena.
The former president of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou also announced on Sunday that he was working to “find a negotiated way out of the crisis” to “release” his successor Mohamed Bazoum, and “restore him in office”. Saturday evening, the junta resulting from the putsch had denounced the ECOWAS summit, seeing in it the threat of an “imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with African countries not members of the organization and certain Western countries”.
Pivot antijihadiste
Sanctions and ultimatums have already been decided by other countries, notably France, which announced on Saturday that it was suspending its development aid to Niger. As for the African Union, on Friday it set an ultimatum of 15 days for the military to restore “constitutional authority”.
Located in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is the last ally with which France, a former colonial power, maintains a so-called “combat” partnership once morest the jihadists, in this region undermined by instability, precariousness and attacks by groups jihadists. After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger, plagued by attacks from groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, is the third country in the region to suffer a coup since 2020.
(AFP)Show comments
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