American Intervention
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Deposed Nigerien president begs for American intervention as military junta terminates diplomatic relations with US and Nigeria orders foreign forces to leave
The Washington Post on Thursday evening published an op-ed purportedly written by the ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, in which he asks for US help to defeat the military junta that seized power last week. “I write this as a hostage. Niger is under attack from a military junta that is trying to overthrow our democracy,” Bazoum said.
Last Wednesday’s coup “has no justification whatsoever” and is a “cynical effort to undermine the remarkable progress Niger has made under democracy,” he insisted.
“I call on the US government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order. Fighting for our shared values, including democratic pluralism and respect for the rule of law, is the only way to make sustainable progress against poverty and terrorism,” the ousted leader wrote.
As a key argument, Bazoum brought up that earlier this year, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Niger “a model of resilience, a model of democracy, a model of cooperation.”
Bazoum argued his government had made great progress in “economic and social governance,” partnering with the Indiana National Guard to reduce terrorist threats, while USAID shifted its focus from humanitarian work to “building sustainable energy, improving agricultural productivity and educating the next generation of Nigerien leaders.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken poses for a photo with Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum during their meeting at the presidential palace in Niamey, Niger, March 16, 2023 © Boureima Hama / Pool via AP
He revealed that foreign aid makes up 40% of the country’s budget, but is now blocked due to sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which Bazoum endorsed.
Niger “stands as the last bastion of respect for human rights amid the authoritarian movements that have overtaken some of our neighbors,” Bazoum argued, criticizing Mali and Burkina Faso for employing “criminal Russian mercenaries”such as the Wagner Group, “whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine.”
Unless the US and ECOWAS intervene, Wagner will have an “open invitation” into the region and all of central Sahel “could fall to Russian influence,” Bazoum wrote.
He did not make a single reference to uranium, Niger’s key export to former colonial master France.
Earlier on Thursday, the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani denounced all military agreements with Paris, including the deal under which France kept around 1,500 troops in the country.
In a televised address on Thursday night, a representative of the putschist government said that Niger will “immediately” suspend all military cooperation agreements with France, including the deal under which Paris has deployed around 1,500 troops in the Sahel country. Earlier in the day, on the 63rd anniversary of Niger’s independence from Paris, Tchiani’s junta blocked the signal of French broadcasters France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI), AFP reported.
The junta also revoked the mandates of four of its diplomatic representatives announcing that the authority of diplomats representing the country in France, Nigeria, Togo and the United States had been “terminated.”
The junta has also reiterated warnings against “aggression or attempted aggression” by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The 15-country regional bloc issued an ultimatum last week, demanding that Bazoum be reinstated and warning that member states may otherwise use force.
The participation of some ECOWAS members, including Niger, was recently suspended. The junta has indicated that it considers neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, which were also penalized, to be friendly nations.
An ECOWAS delegation visited Niger’s capital Niamey this week to negotiate a possible resolution of the crisis. According to local media, the talks failed on Thursday.
Source Reuters/RT/AFP
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