<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/03/niger-coup-junta-joe-biden-mohamed-bazoum>
"Joe Biden has called for the immediate release of Niger’s elected president
and for the country’s democracy to be restored, in the highest profile
statement by the US since the coup that removed Mohamed Bazoum from power, as
Senegal also ramped up the pressure by saying its troops would join a a
military intervention if necessary.
“I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for
the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy,” the US president said in a
statement on Thursday, the 63rd anniversary of Niger’s independence. “In this
critical moment, the United States stands with the people of Niger to honour
our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for
civilian-led governance.”
Bazoum said in an opinion piece published on Thursday in the
Washington Post
that he is a hostage and called on the international community to restore
constitutional order. “This coup, launched against my government by a faction
in the military on July 26, has no justification whatsoever. If it succeeds, it
will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire
world.”
The Niger junta late on Thursday revoked five military cooperation agreements
with France amid a wave of anti-French sentiment. France has between 1,000 and
1,500 troops in Niger, helping to fight Islamist insurgent groups.
A decision about the revocation of the military deals with France, dating
between 1977 and 2020, was read out on national television late on Thursday by
junta representative Amadou Abdramane. Abdramane added that a diplomatic notice
would be sent to France to that effect. There was no immediate response from
France. Niger also suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international
news outlets France 24 and RFI – drawing condemnation from the French foreign
ministry.
The move is similar to post-coup crackdowns on French media by the juntas in
Mali and Burkina Faso, who have also kicked out French troops, many of whom are
stationed in Niger.
The coup against Bazoum was the seventh in the west and central Africa region
since 2020.
In the Senegalese capital, Dakar, the foreign minister, Aïssata Tall Sall, told
reporters that there had been “one coup too many” in the region and that
Senegal would participate if the Economic Community of West African States
(Ecowas) decided to intervene militarily in Niger.
“Senegalese soldiers, for all these reasons, will go there,” she said, citing
Senegal’s international commitments. “Senegal’s conviction is that these coups
must be stopped.”
Sall and Biden’s comments came as the country’s junta appeared on television to
warn against foreign military interference in the impoverished country."
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
