TEHRAN, Jul. 31 (MNA) – Niger Republic has just suspended the export of uranium and gold to France this Sunday with immediate effect.
While Protesters in Niger burned a French flag and shouted “Down with France!” as they supported the coup, according to Wazobia Reporters.
“We have uranium, diamonds, gold, oil, and we live like slaves? We don’t need the French to keep us safe, ” one said.
The Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military in Niger Republic to restore ousted President Muhammed Bazoum to office while the border between Niger and all member states remain closed.
The commander of Niger’s presidential guard General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Friday declared himself the head of a transitional government after his soldiers took President Mohamed Bazoum into custody on Wednesday, Aljazeera reported.
“In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Saturday.
According to its website, the EU has allocated 503 million euros ($554m) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over the 2021-2024 period.
Borrell’s statement also said Bazoum “remains the only legitimate president of Niger”, and called for his immediate release and for holding the coup leaders to account for the safety of the president and his family.
Borrell said the EU was ready to support future decisions taken by West Africa’s regional bloc, “including the adoption of sanctions”.
Earlier, the United States’ top diplomat also offered his “unflagging support” to Niger’s overthrown leader, warning his captors that hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance could be at risk if democratic norms were not restored.
In an address on state television on Friday, the 62-year-old General Tchiani said he had taken control of the government to prevent “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country.
The African Union also demanded the military in Niger “return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority” within 15 days since it grabbed power.
RHM/PR – Mehr News Agency
News Code 203993
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Thousands of protesters in Niger storm French embassy
Sunday, 30 July 2023 4:25 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 30 July 2023 4:48 PM ]
Nigerian security forces prepare to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. (Photo by AFP)
Thousands of supporters of the military in Niger have marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, and gathered outside the French embassy, forcefully denouncing former colonial power France before storming its embassy.
The protesters on Sunday stormed the French embassy and put a door of it on fire, according to a local source and videos seen by The Associated Press.
Protesters attempted to enter the embassy building but the Nigerian army stopped them.
Black smoke could be seen rising from across the city.
France condemned what it called the violence that erupted around its embassy in Niger, where the junta seized power this week in a coup and demanded that local authorities protect the building.
“Nigerian forces have an obligation to ensure the security of our diplomatic missions and consulates as part of the Vienna convention,” the French Foreign Ministry said on Sunday, condemning “all violence against diplomatic missions.”
The statement came after thousands of military supporters rallied outside the French embassy after Paris cut off security cooperation and financial aid to the West African country in response to the coup that ousted the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, on Thursday.
Some demonstrators tore down and stamped on a plaque bearing the words “Embassy of France in Niger,” replacing it with Niger and Russian flags while shouting anti-French slogans.
In a separate statement, France threatened to retaliate if its citizens or interests were attacked and said it would back all regional initiatives to restore order in Niger.
“Should anyone attack French nationals, the army, diplomats and French interests, they will see France respond in an immediate and intractable manner,” the French presidency said.
West African heads of state were set to meet in Nigeria’s capital on Sunday for an urgent summit to decide on further measures to pressure the army to restore constitutional order.
The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union could suspend Niger from its institutions, cut off the country from the regional central bank and financial market, and close borders.
Ahead of the summit, the coup leaders in Niger on Saturday night warned in a statement — which was read on Niger national television on Saturday night — against any military intervention.
“The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are nonmembers of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.
The coup in Niger has drawn condemnation from its neighbors and international partners including the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and former colonial power France who have all refused to recognize the new leaders and have demanded that Bazoum be restored to power.
EU, UN , African Union mount pressure on Niger coup leaders
The African Union demands Niger
The African Union on Saturday demanded that Nigerien military personnel “immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority,” within 15 days.
The AU warned it would “take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected.”
Meanwhile, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borell announced on Saturday the suspension of security cooperation with Niger coup leader on Saturday, saying that the bloc would not acknowledge “the authorities from the putsch in Niger.”
“All cooperation in the security field is suspended indefinitely with immediate effect” in addition to the end to budgetary aid, he said.
Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries and relies on hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance every year.
France, Niger’s former colonial power, has 1,500 soldiers in the country, while the United States has around 1,000 troops on the ground.
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France cuts off aid to Niger amid growing Western condemnation of coup
The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same after military leaders this week announced they had overthrown the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
Issued on: 29/07/2023 – 18:34
Text by:NEWS WIRES
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank.
It is also a key security partner of Western countries such as France, the former colonial power, and the United States, which both use it as a base for their efforts to contain an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa’s Sahel region.
Previously seen the most stable country among several unstable neighbours, Niger is the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium.
Niger’s foreign allies so far have refused to recognize the new military government led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, previously head of the presidential guard, who officers declared head of state on Friday.
Bazoum has not been heard from since early Thursday when he was confined within the presidential palace, although the European Union, France and others say they still recognize him as the legitimate president.
“In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
The French foreign ministry said France had suspended all development aid and budget support to Niger with immediate effect. It demanded a prompt return to constitutional order with elected president Bazoum back in charge.
Niger is a key partner of the European Union in helping curb the flow of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The EU also has a small number of troops in Niger for a military training mission.
The EU allocated 503 million euros ($554 million) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over 2021-2024, according to its website.
The United States has two military bases in Niger with some 1,100 soldiers, and also provides hundreds of millions of dollars to the country in security and development aid.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place for people in Niger is clearly in jeopardy,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. U.S. support depends on the continuation of democratic governance, he said.
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The United Nations said the coup has not affected its deliveries of humanitarian aid.
It is unclear how much support the military junta has among Niger’s population. Some crowds came out in support of Bazoum on Wednesday, but the following day coup supporters also took to the streets.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will hold an emergency summit in Nigeria on Sunday to discuss the situation.
After an emergency meeting on Friday, the African Union issued a statement demanding the military return to their barracks and restore constitutional order within 15 days. It did not say what would happen after that.
(AFP)
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