Niger: Coupists Tell US That They would kill Bazoum If Neighboring Countries Sent Military To Niger

Niger’s junta told a top U.S. diplomat that they would kill deposed President Mohamed Bazoum if neighboring countries attempted any military intervention to restore his rule, two Western officials told The Associated Press.

According to Punch, unnamed Western military sources revealed that representatives of the junta informed U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland about the threat to Bazoum while she was visiting the country this week. Similarly, an anonymous U.S. official confirmed this information to the Associated Press, as they lacked authorization to communicate with the media. Following his deposition on July 26, Bazoum claims to be confined against his will at his residence.

On Thursday, the ECOWAS regional bloc announced that it had instructed the deployment of a “readiness force” to reinstate democracy in Niger following the coup. Nevertheless, it did not provide specifics regarding the composition, whereabouts, or potential timeline for the deployment of any military intervention unit. Leaders of the West African bloc’s member nations convened in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, on Thursday.

When seeking clarity, Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS commission, stated that he could only reassert the decisions made by “the military authorities in the subregion to deploy a standby force of the community.”

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