Niger coup: AU expresses concern over ousted President, backs ECOWAS

• The African Union expresses concern about deteriorating conditions for ousted President Bazoum and supports ECOWAS decisions on Niger
• AU Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat calls for Bazoum’s immediate release and protection of his well-being

The African Union (AU) has expressed deep concern about the deteriorating detention conditions for ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and has voiced strong support for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) decisions regarding unconstitutional changes in Niger.

In a statement signed by the AU Commission’s Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the organisation challenged Niger’s military authorities to immediately halt the escalation of the situation with the regional organisation.

The statement reads;

“The mistrust towards him and the continuation of the sequestration of the President in conditions which are deteriorating in a worrying way. Such treatment of a democratically elected president through a regular electoral process is inadmissible.”

As a result, the Commission’s Chairperson has called for the immediate release of President Bazoum, all members of his family, and all members of his government who are unlawfully detained alongside him, in violation of Nigerien law and the founding principles of the AU and ECOWAS.

The commission’s Chairman has also urged the international community to work together to protect President Mohamed Bazoum’s life, moral integrity, and physical well-being.

Military intervention in Niger would trigger ‘destabilisation’ – Russia

Russia has issued a stern warning against any potential military intervention in Niger, a mere day after West African leaders declared their intention to assemble a “standby” force to reinstate the deposed president, who was removed from power through a coup.

In a comprehensive report released by the global news agency AFP, the Russian foreign ministry voiced its apprehensions regarding adopting a military resolution to address the prevailing crisis in Niger. Its assertion underscored the ministry’s concerns that such a move could not only prolong the confrontation within the African nation but also precipitate a significant destabilization across the broader Sahara-Sahel region.

This development transpired after West African nations, under the umbrella of the ECOWAS regional bloc, approved the deployment of a “standby force” designed to restore the constitutional order in Niger.

Although this intervention’s precise composition and timeline remain undisclosed, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara shared that a multinational force, including a battalion of 850 to 1,100 soldiers from Ivory Coast, alongside troops from Nigeria and Benin, would be contributed. Furthermore, additional nations are poised to join this effort, with a collective resolve to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum.