The African Union (AU) showed on Friday solidarity with West African regional bloc ECOWAS’ decisions on Niger.
The AU also called on the international community to save the life of President Mohamed Bazoum, whose detention conditions are deteriorating.
In like manner, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced support for efforts of the West African bloc ECOWAS on Niger, without explicitly backing its call at a summit for military intervention.
“ECOWAS, an organization that brings together West African countries, is playing a key role in making clear the imperative of a return to constitutional order, and we very much support ECOWAS’ leadership and work on this,” Blinken said.
On Thursday, ECOWAS highlighted that all options were still on the table to overturn Niger’s coup and decided to activate a standby force for possible military intervention.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) criticized the worsening conditions of detained President Bazoum and called for his immediate release after he was deposed in a coup.
“The EU reiterates it is deeply concerned at the deteriorating conditions in which the president is being detained. Mohamed Bazoum and his family, according to the latest information, have been deprived of food, electricity, and medical care for several days,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted online.
