The West African Economic Community, Ecowas, gave the coup leaders a week to restore Niger’s democratically elected president to power.
The military junta that seized power in West Africa’s Niger warns that it will react immediately to any military action that the West African economic community Ecowas may be planning. The leaders of the coup announced this in a televised statement on Thursday evening.
Ecowas leaders last Sunday imposed trade and financial sanctions on Niger and gave the military junta leadership a week to restore Niger’s democratically elected president to power. Ecowas threatened the junta with the use of force if the demand was not agreed to.
In a statement released on Thursday, the leaders of the coup also said that the agreements with France on military cooperation have been cancelled.
There are an estimated 1,000–1,500 French troops in Niger. The troops have been fighting Islamist fighters who have been trying to gain a foothold in West Africa.
According to supporters of the coup, the French forces have failed to defeat the Islamists.
In addition, the junta announced that it would terminate the powers of the ambassadors of the United States, France, Nigeria and Togo in Niger.
The ousted president said he was a hostage
Niger’s ousted president last week Mohamed Bazoum in turn presented the whole world with a request for help in an article published in the American Washington Post magazine on Thursday.
In his letter, Bazoum said he was being held hostage and called on the United States and the international community to restore constitutional order to Niger. He warned that if successful, “the coup will have a devastating effect on Niger, West Africa and the whole world”.
Sources: AFP, Reuters