West African countries on Sunday ordered an economic blockade of Niger, deciding the “immediate” suspension of “all commercial and financial transactions” with this country, and set a one-week ultimatum for the junta to restore constitutional order, claiming not to exclude a “use of force”.
At the same time in Niamey, thousands of demonstrators supporting the putschist soldiers converged in the morning in front of the French embassy, ??in which some wanted to enter, before being dispersed by tear gas canisters.
Some tore down a plate displaying “French Embassy in Niger”, before trampling it and replacing it with Russian and Nigerien flags, noted an AFP journalist.
This rally was denounced by Paris, and French President Emmanuel Macron warned that he “will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests” in Niger, while threatening, in the event of violence, to “respond immediately and intractable”.
The pressure increases every day a little more on the new proclaimed strongman of Niger, the putschist general Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the presidential guard, at the origin of the fall of the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, sequestered for four days.
The West African bloc (ECOWAS), the African Union, and Western countries, including France and the United States, do not recognize the “authorities” resulting from the putsch and are calling for a return to constitutional order.
Thus, an extraordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (of which Niger is a member with 14 other countries) was held on Sunday in Abuja, under the aegis of the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, in the head of the regional institution since the beginning of the month.
ECOWAS demanded the “immediate release” of President Bazoum and the “complete return to constitutional order”, according to the resolutions read at the end of the summit.
If these requests are “not met within one week”, ECOWAS “will take all necessary measures” and “these measures may include the use of force”, according to these resolutions.
The regional organization has also decided to “suspend all commercial and financial transactions” between its member states and Niger.
The Sahelian country of 20 million people is one of the poorest in the world, despite its uranium resources.
Other financial sanctions were decided, including “an asset freeze for military officials involved in the attempted coup”.
“It is no longer time for us to send out alarm signals,” Mr. Tinubu said, “the time is for action.”
The ECOWAS countries were represented by their leader or representative, with the exception of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso – suspended since they too were led by putschist soldiers.
The leader of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, whose country is not a member of ECOWAS, but which is a neighbor of Niger, also a military power in the Sahel allied with France, took part in this summit. He then left for Niamey, a “Chadian initiative” to “see what he can bring to the settlement of the crisis”, according to N’Djamena.
The ex-president of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou also announced on Sunday that he was working to “find a negotiated way out of the crisis” to “release” his successor Mohamed Bazoum, and “restore him in office”.
Saturday evening, the junta resulting from the putsch had denounced the ECOWAS summit, seeing in it the threat of an “imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with African countries not members of the organization and certain Western countries”.
At the end of 2022, ECOWAS, meeting at the summit, had decided to create a regional force dedicated to intervening not only against the jihadism which is undermining the countries of the Sahel, but also in the event of a coup, as the region has known several since. two years.
Sanctions and ultimatums have already been decided by other countries, notably France, which announced on Saturday that it was suspending its development aid to Niger.
As for the African Union, on Friday it set an ultimatum of 15 days for the military to restore “constitutional authority”.
Washington has expressed its “unwavering support” for Mr. Bazoum, assuring that the coup jeopardizes the “partnership” between the United States and Niger.
Located in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is the last ally with which France, a former colonial power, maintains a so-called “combat” partnership against the jihadists, in this region undermined by instability, precariousness and attacks by groups jihadists.
Paris currently has some 1,500 soldiers in Niger, who have so far operated jointly with the local army.
After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger, plagued by attacks from groups linked to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, is the third country in the region to suffer a coup since 2020.
07/30/2023 17:11:18 – Abuja (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
