We are in a deep regional crisis just over a week after Niger succumbed to the political pandemic engulfing the region – military coups.
A nation of 25 million people had woken up to the news that President Mohamed Bazoum had been detained – just 24 months after he was elected in a peaceful, democratic transfer of power.
It would take a few days before it emerged that General Abdourahmane Tiani, commander of the presidential guard, was leading this latest military misadventure.Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
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Niger Junta to Prosecute Detained President for TreasonNiger's junta is ready to consider a diplomatic solution to its stand-off with West African bloc ECOWAS, mediators said on Sunday August 13, 2023. Deutsche Welle reports that a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars met with coup leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey and quoted him as saying that the junta's doors were "open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter." The discussion by the Nigerian scholars, led by Sheikh Abdullahi Bala Lau, included an ECOWAS call for reinstating Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in the July 26 coup. However, AFP is reporting that late on Sunday, the military regime said they would prosecute Bazoum for "high treason" and undermining the internal and external security of Niger. They also slammed West African leaders for imposing sanctions on the country. Bazoum has been detained since being ousted in a military coup on July 26. He received a medical visit on Saturday, reports Deutsche Welle. Bazoum's doctor told Radio France Internationale following the visit: "the president's morale is high." A member of Bazoum's entourage told Agence France-Presse: "He's fine, given the situation." The African Union had expressed its concern at the president's health and called for his "immediate" release. "The president of the Commission [of the African Union] calls for the immediate release of President Bazoum," Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat said in a statement published on Friday. The European Union and the United Nations have also voiced concern, and the rights group Human Rights Watch called on coup leaders to ensure the safety and well-being of President Bazoum, his family, and others arbitrarily detained. ECOWAS said on Thursday that its forces were on "standby," as it mulled the option of intervening in Niger as the military junta named its new government.
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West Africa: Niger Military Regime Open to Talks, Say MediatorsNiger's coup leaders are willing to negotiate with the West African bloc ECOWAS, according to Nigerian mediators who met General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
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Niger coup: Ousted President Bazoum to be charged with high treason, junta saysCoup leaders accuse the detained Mohamed Bazoum of undermining national security.
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Niger generals vow to prosecute ousted president for ‘high treason’ - The Africa Report.comThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Niger in response to the coup and has not ruled out using force against the army officers who toppled the democratically elected Bazoum on July 26.
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Niger junta says it will prosecute ousted president for treasonThe military junta that seized power in Niger in a coup last month has said it will prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason over his exchanges with foreign heads of state and international organisations.
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African Union meets on Niger crisis
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