Niger coup leaders reportedly threaten to kill president

By Sam Mednick and Chinedu Asadu | Related Press

NIAMEY, Niger — Niger’s junta advised a prime U.S. diplomat that they’d kill deposed President Mohamed Bazoum if neighboring international locations tried any navy intervention to revive his rule, two Western officers advised The Related Press.

They spoke to the AP shortly earlier than the West African bloc ECOWAS stated it had directed the deployment of a “standby pressure” to revive democracy in Niger, with out giving particulars about its make-up, location or proposed date of deployment.

Representatives of the junta advised U.S. Beneath Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the menace to Bazoum throughout her go to to the nation this week, a Western navy official stated, talking on situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the scenario.

A U.S. official confirmed that account, additionally talking on situation of anonymity, as a result of they weren’t licensed to talk to the media.

Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, says he’s being held hostage at his residence.

Individually, the leaders of 9 of the 15 ECOWAS member states met Thursday within the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to debate their subsequent steps after the junta defied their Sunday deadline to reinstate Bazoum.

Requested for clarification of their assertion, ECOWAS fee president Omar Alieu Touray stated he may solely reaffirm the selections by “the navy authorities within the subregion to deploy a standby pressure of the group.”

Financing had been mentioned and “applicable measures have been taken,” he stated.

He blamed the junta for any hardship attributable to the sanctions imposed on Niger and stated additional actions by the bloc could be taken collectively, not by any single nation.

“It isn’t one nation towards one other nation. The group has devices to which all members have subscribed to,” he stated.

A former British Military official who has labored in Nigeria advised The Related Press the ECOWAS assertion might be seen because the inexperienced mild for members to start assembling their forces with the last word intention of restoring constitutional order.

Almost about using pressure, the official, who was not licensed to talk to the media, stated there was at present nothing in place apart from Nigerian forces. With out enablers and the help of different regional armies, it’s unlikely they’d enter, the official stated.

ECOWAS has imposed harsh financial and journey sanctions, however analysts say it might be working out of choices as help fades for intervention. The bloc has did not stem previous coups within the area: Niger is the fourth of its member states to endure a coup within the final three years.

Nnamdi Obasi, a senior adviser with the Disaster Group suppose tank, stated ECOWAS ought to additional discover diplomacy in Niger.

“We have to tread cautiously on the thought of utilizing pressure in resolving the disaster. Using pressure may result in unintended and catastrophic penalties with unpredictable outcomes,” stated Obasi.

Such a navy intervention may additionally set off a “main regional battle” between democratic governments and an alliance of navy regimes, he stated.

Niger was seen because the final nation within the Sahel area south of the Sahara Desert that Western nations may companion with to counter jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed hundreds and displaced hundreds of thousands of individuals. The worldwide group is scrambling to discover a peaceable answer to the nation’s management disaster.

“Let me let you know, any coup that has succeeded past 24 hours has come to remain. So, as it’s, they’re talking from the purpose of power and benefit,” stated Oladeinde Ariyo, a safety analyst in Nigeria. “So, negotiating with them must be on their phrases.”

On Wednesday, a Nigerian delegation met with the junta’s chief, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. Nevertheless, Nuland was denied entry to each Tchiani and Bazoum. A separate delegation comprised of ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union was barred from coming in any respect.

Since seizing energy, the junta has minimize ties with France and exploited standard grievances towards its former colonial ruler to shore up its help base. It additionally has requested for assist from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which operates in a handful of African international locations and has been accused of committing human rights abuses.

Moscow is utilizing Wagner and different channels of affect to discredit Western nations, asserted Lou Osborn , an investigator with All Eyes on Wagner, a challenge specializing in the group.

Techniques embody utilizing social media to unfold rumors about Wagner’s upcoming arrival in Niger and using pretend accounts to mobilize demonstrations and unfold false narratives, Osborn stated.She pointed to a Telegram publish on Wednesday by an alleged Wagner operative, Alexander Ivanov, asserting that France had begun the “mass removing of youngsters” seemingly for use for slave labor and sexual exploitation.

Neither Russia’s authorities nor Wagner responded to questions.

Whereas there’s no purpose to imagine Russia was behind the coup, it’s going to leverage the chance to realize a stronger foothold within the area, one thing Western nations had been attempting to keep away from, Sahel consultants say.

France and america have greater than 2,500 navy personnel in Niger and together with different European nations have poured lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of navy help into propping up the nation’s forces. A lot of that assist has now been suspended.

In the meantime, Niger’s roughly 25 million persons are feeling the influence of the sanctions.

Some neighborhoods within the capital, Niamey have little entry to electrical energy and there are frequent energy cuts throughout the town. The nation will get as much as 90% of its energy from Nigeria, which has minimize off among the provide.