African Union issues ultimatum to Niger coup leaders
The African Union has given Niger’s military junta 15 days to stand down and reinstall ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, threatening “punitive measures” if coup leaders refuse.
In a statement on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council condemned the “alarming resurgence” of coups across the continent. The bloc called on the soldiers who ousted Bazoum to “return immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.”
Should the military refuse to comply, the council said that it would take “necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.”
Bazoum was detained by members of his security detail on Wednesday, with top military officials later announcing that they had removed him from power and suspended all state institutions. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who headed the Nigerien presidential guard since 2011, appeared on television on Friday declaring himself the new national leader.
The coup followed two successful military power grabs in Burkina Faso last year, and attempted coups in Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Sao Tome and Principe, and Sudan since the start of 2022. In Burkina Faso and Mali, the unrest came as France ended its long-running anti-insurgent operation in the Sahel region, which had been condemned by locals as ineffective.
Around 1,500 French troops remain based in Niger, although the future of their deployment is unclear following the overthrow of Bazoum, who was backed by the French government.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Bazoum as a “courageous leader,” and said that Paris would back regional powers in imposing sanctions on the coup plotters. The European Union announced on Saturday that it had suspended financial aid to Niger, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken threatened to cut off Washington’s “substantial” assistance to the country.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the coup on Thursday as an “anti-constitutional act.”
Tchiani’s men have shown no signs of backing down. Following Friday’s meeting with civil servants, senior junta official Gen. Mohamed Toumba told reporters that “the message given was not to stop the processes underway, to keep on with things,” and that “everything that must be done will be done.”
🇷🇺🤝🇳🇪❌🇫🇷 Thousands protest outside French embassy in NigerA large protest action is taking place at the French Embassy in Niger, with thousands of people in the capital city of Niamey demonstrating in support of the military. Protesters are chanting anti-French slogans and… pic.twitter.com/uhFC82p87K
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) July 30, 2023
The situation on the ground escalated on Sunday when crowds of Tchiani’s supporters surrounded the French embassy in Niamey. The embassy’s door was set on fire, and some among the crowd waved Russian flags, despite Moscow’s condemnation of the coup. Macron’s office warned that Paris “will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests,” and that France would “respond in an immediate and intractable manner” if its diplomats or citizens were harmed.
