Days after the navy in Niger efficiently staged a coup and eliminated President Mohammad Bazoum, they’ve now threatened to kill Bazoum if different nations attempt to intervene within the matter. According to a report by AP, the ruling Junta informed the U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum might be killed if regional nations tried any navy intervention to revive his rule. The president is at the moment being detained by the junta.
Representatives of the junta informed this to Victoria Nuland throughout her go to to the nation this week. AP reported {that a} Western navy official confirmed this on the situation of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the scenario. A US official additionally confirmed the event, additionally talking on situation of anonymity.
On July 26, the navy of Niger, led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who was the previous chief of the Presidential Guard, seized energy within the Sahel nation by eradicating President Mohammad Bazoum. Bazoum has been in detention since.
A diplomatic mission led by US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland had travelled to Niger’s capital Nimaye. However, they may solely meet the brand new navy chief of employees Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou, not the brand new chief General Abdourahamane Tchiani or deposed President Bazoum.
The US mission sought to discover a ‘diplomatic solution’ to ‘restore democracy’ of their nation after the July 26 coup. However, the navy rulers flatly refused the proposals. When Nuland threatened to chop every kind of help to Niger if the navy leaders don’t stand down, the Junta mentioned that they don’t want American cash.
“Use your money to fund a weight loss program for Victoria Nuland,” they reportedly mentioned.
Nuland acknowledged that the navy leaders of Niger have been ‘unresponsive’ to her proposals and ideas on how they need to proceed to ‘restore democracy’ within the nation. The dialogue with the navy leaders was “extremely frank and at times quite difficult”, Nuland informed the media at Nimaye.
In the in the meantime, West African heads of state have began deliberations after the Junta defied their deadline to reinstate the deposed president. However, the alliance often called the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have restricted choices to drive Niger’s ruling navy to simply accept their calls for, as the potential of a navy intervention is very distant.
“It is crucial that we prioritize diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach,” Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who at the moment chairs the bloc, mentioned earlier than a closed-door assembly of the ECOWAS members.
On Wednesday, a Nigerian delegation met the junta’s chief, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. However, the navy chief refused to fulfill U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. A delegation comprised of ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union was additionally barred from coming into the nation.