2023-08-12 18:24:31
Concerns about his health are growing. Sequestered in his presidential residence in Niamey since a coup d’etat which overthrew him on July 26, Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum “had a visit from his doctor” this Saturday, according to one of his advisers, while concerns about his fate multiply.
Meanwhile, countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have postponed a key meeting scheduled for Saturday on the deployment of an intervention force to restore Mohamed Bazoum to his post.
“The President of the Republic”, Mohamed Bazoum, “had a visit from his doctor today”, who “also brought him food”, as well as his son and his wife detained with him, affirmed a relative of the ousted president. “He is doing well given the situation,” he added.
“Inhuman and cruel” treatment
Several representatives of organizations and countries allied with Niger before the coup expressed their concern about the conditions of confinement and the state of health of the ousted president.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, expressed Friday “his serious concerns” on “the deterioration of the conditions of detention” of Mohamed Bazoum. The European Union (EU) has also expressed its “deep concern”, as have US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
According to the NGO Human Rights Watch who spoke to Mohamed Bazoum, he described his family’s treatment as “inhumane and cruel”, without electricity or human contact, and had only pasta and rice to eat. , according to the American media CNN.
“Standby Strength”
The visit by Mohamed Bazoum’s doctor comes on the day that a meeting of ECOWAS chiefs of staff was to take place in Accra, Ghana, to inform their leaders “of the best options” to follow up on their decision to activate and deploy their “standby force” to restore constitutional order.
This meeting has been postponed indefinitely for “technical reasons”, according to regional military sources. The timetable and terms of a possible West African military intervention have not been disclosed. But according to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, whose country will contribute to this force, it should be able to intervene “as soon as possible”.
“The military option seriously considered by ECOWAS is not a war against Niger and its people, but a police operation against the hostage taker and his accomplices”, reacted on Saturday the Nigerien Minister of Foreign Affairs of the government. fallen, Hassoumi Massaoudou, on X (ex-Twitter).
A return to constitutional order?
According to one of Mohamed Bazoum’s relatives, the new masters of Niamey brandished “the threat” to attack him if an armed intervention took place. “The intervention will be risky, he is aware of it, he considers that there needs to be a return to constitutional order, with or without him”, assured AFP one of his advisers.
In Abuja, ECOWAS nevertheless reaffirmed its hope for a resolution through diplomatic channels: the President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu, who holds the rotating presidency of the organization, said he hoped “to reach a peaceful resolution”, a recourse to force being considered only as a “last resort”.
The threat of intervention had been brandished for the first time on July 30 by West African leaders who had issued a seven-day ultimatum to the soldiers of Niamey to restore President Bazoum, under penalty of using “force”, not followed. of effect.
New government
These decisions do not seem to reach the military regime, which announced the formation of a new government led by a civilian Prime Minister, meeting for the first time on Friday. The choices of ECOWAS, however, received the “full support” of France, as well as the United States, former allies in the anti-jihadist fight.
France, a former colonial power, is a privileged target of the Nigerien military, who accuse it of being behind the ECOWAS decision. It is also the target of regular demonstrations in support of the military regime and its leader, General Abdourahamane Tiani. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, also ruled by soldiers, showed their solidarity with Niamey.
According to an adviser to the Malian presidency on condition of anonymity, one of the strong men of the Nigerian regime, General Salifou Mody, the new Minister of Defense, made a short visit to Mali on Friday.
#President #Bazoum #sequestered #July #visit #doctor