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Moscow. August 4th. INTERFAX.RU – Niger President Mohamed Bazum in his articlepublished by The Washington Post, asks for the support of the United States and the international community.
“In my hour of need, I call on the US government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order. (…) The people of Niger will never forget your support at this turning point in our history,” Bazum wrote.
In the “troubled” Sahel region, Niger is “the last stronghold of human rights,” he said.
“While this coup attempt is a tragedy for Nigerians, its success could have devastating consequences far beyond our borders,” the head of state stressed.
Bazum noted that the coup undertaken by the military “has no justification.”
“Our government came to power through democratic elections in 2021. Any attempt to overthrow the legitimate government must be countered and we appreciate the strong and unequivocal condemnation of this cynical attempt to destroy the significant progress that Niger has made under democracy,” he wrote.
The Nigerian leader recalled that foreign aid accounts for 40% of his country’s budget, “but it will not be delivered if the coup succeeds.”
On July 26, it became known that part of the Niger presidential guard opposed Bazum, who was captured and removed from power. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Niger supported the fighters who deposed the president. Army General Abdurahman Tchiani was declared the new leader of the country.
The US, France, EU, African Union, ECOWAS condemned the military coup. However, he was supported by Mali and Burkina Faso, who warned that they would take any foreign military intervention in Niger as a declaration of war.
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2023-08-04 00:40:00
