Poltics
The coup has resulted in order that Niger, a former French colony, might perhaps pivot in opposition to Russia
By Haruna Shehu Tangaza in Abuja & Farouk Chothia in London
BBC Recordsdata
West African leaders contain threatened military action in opposition to Niger’s military junta after it took energy in a coup last week.
The leaders gave the junta seven days to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive.
Earlier, the junta warned it would possibly possibly perhaps face up to any “conception of aggression in opposition to Niger” by regional or Western powers.
In the intervening time hundreds of coup supporters protested starting up air the French embassy within the capital Niamey.
Leaders from Ecowas, the bloc of West African countries, held disaster talks in Nigeria’s capital Abuja on Sunday to discuss essentially the most recent coup – which follows army takeovers in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso.
A press commence study out after the summit said that Ecowas had “zero tolerance” for coups.
The regional bloc would “rob all measures valuable to revive constitutional show” if its demands weren’t met internal per week.
“Such measures might perhaps encompass the use of force,” and military chiefs are to satisfy “straight away” to devise for an intervention, the assertion added.
Right here’s the first time Ecowas has threatened military action to reverse the coups which contain taken role within the situation in sleek years.
It last sanctioned military intervention in 2017, when Senegalese troops were deployed to The Gambia to force lengthy-serving ruler Yahya Jammeh to leave role of work after he refused to bag defeat in elections.
Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has long previous to Niamey on behalf of Ecowas to characterize the junta to step down, Chad’s executive said.
He is the first foreign leader to talk to Niger since the coup, and has met junta deputy leader Gen Salifou Mody.
It’s miles unclear whether he’s going to thrill in talks with Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guards unit who has declared himself Niger’s new ruler.
Image source, Chadian executive
Junta deputy leader Gen Salifou Mody (R) has met Chad’s president (L)
The West African leaders furthermore introduced the quick enforcement of a no-flee zone over Niger for all commercial flights, the closure of all land borders with the nation, and the imposition of financial sanctions in opposition to the junta.
Earlier than their assembly, Gen Tchiani warned Ecowas and unnamed Western countries in opposition to stepping in.
“We but again reiterate to Ecowas or any varied adventurer our agency decision to defend our fatherland,” the assertion, which became study out on TV, said.
The coup has resulted in order that Niger, a former French colony, might perhaps pivot in opposition to Russia.
The ousted president had worked intently with both regional and Western countries to fight militant Islamists in Niger.
Burkina Faso and Mali moved closer to Russia after their private coups.
In Niamey, one of the most protesters starting up air the French embassy chanted “Long are living Russia”, “Long are living Putin” and “Down with France”, AFP knowledge agency reviews.
They furthermore location fireplace to the partitions of the embassy compound.
France would no longer tolerate any assault on its pursuits in Niger, and would answer in an “quick and intractable system”, President Emmanuel Macron’s role of work said in a assertion.
Niger’s coup has been condemned by Western countries, but welcomed by the leader of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has reportedly described it as a triumph.
“What happened in Niger is nothing varied than the fight of the of us of Niger with their colonisers,” he became quoted as pronouncing on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel, even though his comments contain no longer been independently verified.
In Mali, the junta has brought in Wagner to relieve it fight militant Islamists.
France, the former colonial energy, introduced the withdrawal of its troops last 365 days amid rising hostility from the junta.
It therefore moved its regional military headquarters to Niger.
In June, Mali’s junta said the UN’s 12,000 peacekeepers furthermore had to leave following a decade of countering Islamist militants.
The UN agreed, pronouncing the withdrawal would be accomplished by the quit of the 365 days.
On Saturday, France said it had suspended all building abet and budgetary support to Niger. The European Union and the US contain made a an identical resolution.