The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, urged on Saturday the immediate release of Niger’s ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, and the reinstatement of democratic order in the country, as per Reuters.
Niger’s coup leaders, led by General Abdoulaye Rahamane, declared themselves as the country’s leaders on Friday, claiming they had toppled Bazoum. The US State Department said yesterday that Blinken had assured Bazoum, during a phone call, that the US would work towards ensuring full constitutional order in the aftermath of the military coup in Niger.
The department added that Blinken also spoke over the phone with French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna to discuss efforts to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Rahamane, the commander of the Presidential Guard forces, detained Bazoum at the presidential palace on Wednesday, and then announced his removal due to poor administration and deteriorating security conditions.
The United States has stated that the overthrow of Niger’s elected president jeopardizes US military aid to this strategically located, impoverished nation. John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, told reporters, “We remind those attempting to seize power by force that the overthrow of a democratically elected president (Mohamed Bazoum) endangers significant US cooperation with the Niger government.”
He further warned, “The military takeover could push the United States to suspend security cooperation and other assistance with the Niger government.” Kirby also cautioned that the coup could strengthen violent extremist organizations, undermine stability, and lead to a worsening of insecurity and violence in the region.
Despite the suspension of air aid in the wake of the coup that toppled elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the United Nations continues its humanitarian operations in Niger, as confirmed by the coordinator of the United Nations Development Program in the Sahel region, according to Agence France-Presse.
A United Nations spokesperson said on Thursday that humanitarian operations were “suspended” in Niger due to the military coup. However, Nicole Kouassi, the UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs in Niger, insisted that the relief, development, and peacekeeping operations led by the United Nations are “continuing.” She explained, “What we suspended were the flights to deliver humanitarian aid,” adding that it was “temporarily suspended, only because of the closure of Niger’s airspace due to the border closures.”
Jean-Noel Gentile, the director of the World Food Program in Niger, added, “The humanitarian response on the ground is continuing and has never stopped. We are able to reach the at-risk areas and vulnerable populations in Niger.”
