2023-09-23 07:26:00
The regime in power since July in this African state accuses the secretary general of obstructing the participation of their representative in the UN General Assembly.
By HR with AFP Antonio Guterres is accused of having excluded Niger from the UN General Assembly. © TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP Published on 09/23/2023 at 7:26 a.m.
Did Antonio Guterres obstruct the coming of a Nigerien representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations? The military regime, in power since the putsch in July, for its part denounces “perfidious actions” on the part of the UN Secretary General.
“The National Council for the Protection of the Fatherland (CNSP, authors of the coup d’état, Editor’s note) and the government of the Republic of Niger call the national and international community to witness the perfidious actions of the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, which are intended to undermine any effort to resolve the crisis in our country”, indicates a press release read on public television. According to this text, Mr. Guterres “went astray in the exercise of his mission by obstacle to Niger’s full participation in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
During this General Assembly, the military regime in power sent its new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, who before the July 26 coup was the country’s representative to the UN. “Mr. Guterres said no only refused to take note of the official list of delegates from Niger (…) but above all acceded to the fanciful request of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassoumi Massaoudou tending to revoke the permanent representative of Niger to the United Nations », notes the Niamey press release.
Niger “rejects and forcefully denounces this manifest interference by Mr. Guterres in the internal affairs of a sovereign State”, adds the text which denounces “the complicity of France and two French-speaking heads of state” from West Africa, without mentioning them.
The former president still sequestered
On Friday, the new authorities in Niamey also launched wanted notices against several officials of the deposed government, including Mr. Massaoudou and other former ministers. These personalities are “considered to be on the run” and wanted for their alleged “involvement in a case of treason and conspiracy aimed at undermining the security and authority of the State” following the “events of regime change on July 26”, specifies a message from the Gendarmerie Research Brigade Nigerian national.
Some of these personalities were outside Niger during the coup d’état, others managed to leave the country afterwards. Furthermore, according to several local media, other dignitaries of the deposed regime were incarcerated in different prisons in the country. Military authorities have not confirmed these imprisonments.
Nigerien generals overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, who has still not resigned and who has since been sequestered in his residence.Mr. Bazoum took legal action in West Africa this week to obtain his release and the restoration of constitutional order in the country. Niger is suffering heavy economic and financial sanctions imposed on July 30 by the Economic Community of African States. West (ECOWAS). The West African organization has been threatening the perpetrators of the coup with military intervention since July 30 to restore constitutional order.
She had announced that the day and modalities of the operation had been decided, prioritizing however the diplomatic route, but now remains relatively silent, although supported by several Western countries, notably France.
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