Leaders of the coup
in Niger Republic have reportedly told a top US diplomat that they would kill
ousted President Mohamed Bazoum if neighbouring countries attempted any
military intervention.
The Associated Press
(AP) reports that the junta disclosed this to
two western officials, amid the announcement of the deployment of a standby force by the
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday.
According to the AP, representatives of the junta told
Victoria Nuland, US under secretary of state, of the threat to Bazoum during
her visit to the country this week.
The report also said a US official confirmed the account on
condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
Aneliese Bernard, a former US state department official who
specialised in African affairs, said the threats are capable of escalating
tensions on all sides.
“Still, this junta has escalated its moves so quickly that
it is possible they do something more extreme, as that has been their approach
so far,” she was quoted as saying.
In a communique issued at the close of Thursday’s meeting in
Abuja, ECOWAS arrived at a number of decisions to address the Niger crisis.
The bloc condemned Bazoum’s hostage condition and held the
military government in Niger responsible for the safety of the detained
president, his family and the democratically elected administration.
ECOWAS also directed the president of the commission to
monitor the implementation of the sanctions on Niger and ordered the “committee
of the chief of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its
elements immediately”.
Bazoum was deposed on July 26 in a bloodless coup. The junta
has since formed a cabinet to
oversee the nation’s affairs.
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