Following last week’s coup, Niger’s junta has confirmed scrapping military pacts made between Niamey and France.
This was confirmed by one of the coup plotters in a statement read out on television late on Thursday, August 3, 2023.
“Faced with France’s careless attitude and its reaction to the situation”, the “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland decided to scrap the cooperation agreements in the field of security and defence with this state”, the coup plotter stated.
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Meanwhile, Niger ambassador to US, Ambassador Kiari Liman-Tinguiri has warned that the coup could destabilise the country.
Liman-Tinguiri said “Niger’s junta must come to reason and return power to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum before the country and the wider region collapse”
The ambassador who made this known in his chat with journalists in an interview on Niger’s independence day on Thursday said “If Niger collapses, the entire Sahel will collapse and be destabilized.
“The junta should come to reason, realize that this affair cannot succeed, and prevent useless, inevitable suffering for our people and hand back power,” said Liman-Tinguiri, who remains a recognized diplomat in Washington and considers himself a representative of the “legitimate” President Bazoum, detained by his guards since late last month.
The future of Western economic and security aid hang in the balance for the landlocked West African country facing multiple conflicts with violent extremists.
Niger’s elected president Mohamed Bazoum has been held by the military since July 26, in the third coup in as many years to topple an elected leader in the Sahel. The head of Niger’s powerful presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani, has declared himself the country’s new leader.
Meanwhile, a high-level delegation, representing the ECOWAS Chairman President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, comprising former Head of State Retired Gen Abdulsalami, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray, has commenced discussions with the coup plotters in an effort to restore stability to the nation.
By Ajibola Adedoye