<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/30/niger-coup-west-african-states-reinstatement-president-mohamed-bazoum>
"The British government has announced it will be halting “long-term development
assistance” to Niger in the wake of the coup that deposed the president last
week.
A powerful bloc of west African states has suspended ties with Niger after the
coup and authorised the possible use of force if the country’s democratically
elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, is not released and reinstated within a
week.
The ultimatum was delivered by the Economic Community of West African States
(Ecowas) as France warned that any attacks on French citizens or its interests
in Niger – a former colony – would provoke an “immediate and stringent”
reaction. France’s embassy in Niamey, Niger’s capital, was targeted during
pro-junta and pro-Russia protests on Sunday.
In a statement issued following the Ecowas decision, the UK Foreign Office said
Britain “condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine
democracy, peace and stability in Niger”. It said Ecowas had set out a “strong
and clear response to this infringement of the democratic rights of the people
of Niger”.
“We continue to stand by Ecowas and their efforts to ensure a return to
democracy in Niger.”
The Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell said: “The UK wholly supports the
immediate political and economic measures announced today by Ecowas and will
suspend long-term development assistance to Niger. We will however continue to
provide critical humanitarian assistance to the people of Niger.
“The UK is a committed partner of Niger’s democratically elected government and
calls for President Bazoum to be immediately reinstated to restore
constitutional order.”
Thousands of protesters have marched through the streets of Niamey waving
Russian flags, chanting the name of Vladimir Putin and forcefully denouncing
France. According to a witness at the French embassy and videos seen by the
Associated Press, a crowd congregated outside the building and a door was set
on fire.
Reports suggested French flags were burned at the embassy, leading police to
fire teargas at protesters. Images seen by
Reuters showed the embassy walls
on fire and people with bloodied legs being loaded into ambulances.
Black smoke rose across the city as the Nigerien army broke up the crowd of
demonstrators.
Ecowas, which met in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss the crisis, also threatened
to suspend all commercial and financial transactions between Niger and the
organisation’s 15 member states, and to freeze the country’s assets in the
bloc’s central banks.
Ecowas and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union are
focused on finding ways to restore Bazoum, who was deposed by Gen Abdourahamane
Tchiani, the head of Niger’s presidential guard. Tchiani, who led the coup on
Wednesday, was declared head of state two days later."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
