“The Nigerien government has to date gathered” the “evidence to prosecute before the competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices, for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger”, declared Sunday August 13 Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the perpetrators of the military coup in Niger, in a statement read on national television.
The government bases its accusations on President Mohamed Bazoum’s “exchanges” with “nationals”, “foreign heads of state”, and “officials of international organizations”.
ECOWAS said in a statement on Monday that the threats of legal action against President Bazoum constitute a new “provocation” by the military authorities in Niamey. This threat is “a new form of provocation and contradicts the will attributed to the military authorities of the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional order by peaceful means”, according to this press release signed in Abuja.
Regarding the deposed president, the putschist regime called for “questioning the sincerity of his claim to maintain that he is sequestered, even though the soldiers have never taken over his presidential residence and he still has of all means of communication.
The soldiers assure that Mohamed Bazoum “regularly receives visits from his doctor”. “After this visit, the doctor did not raise any concerns about the state of health of the ousted president and his family members,” they added. According to an adviser to the overthrown president, a consultation took place on Saturday.
Mohamed Bazoum, held in his presidential residence since the day of the coup with his son and his wife, had declared in several media to be a “hostage”, then to be deprived of electricity and forced to eat only rice and vegetables. pasta. In addition, the military regime denounced “the illegal, inhuman and humiliating sanctions of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)”, taken during a summit of the organization on July 30.
West African states have announced, among other things, the suspension of financial and commercial transactions with Niger. These sanctions “go so far as to deprive the country of pharmaceutical products, foodstuffs” and “supply of electric current”, the military deplored in their press release. They indicate that “all urgent measures are being taken to minimize the impact of the sanctions”.
Regarding people close to the deposed regime arrested since the coup, the military in power added that they “reaffirm their firm will to respect […] Niger’s human rights commitments”.
The African Union announced on Monday that it would hold a meeting to discuss “the evolution of the situation in Niger and efforts to remedy it”, in a press release published on X (ex-Twitter). The meeting of the Peace and Security Council, body in charge of conflicts and security issues within the AU. This meeting takes place at its headquarters in Addis Ababa.
