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Mohamed Bazoum, the deposed president of Niger, might face treason fees, the junta that unseated him final month introduced, marking a brand new escalation in tensions with neighboring international locations which are pondering army motion towards the coup leaders.
A army intervention would put a whole bunch of Western troopers, together with U.S. and French troops who’re based mostly in Niger to help in combating regional militant teams, prone to being caught within the center.
In his assertion Sunday evening, the junta spokesman, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane accused Bazoum of “excessive treason” and of “undermining the interior and exterior safety of Niger” — fees that would carry the demise penalty.
West African nations mobilize standby pressure as Niger disaster grinds on
Abdramane mentioned the gathered “vital proof” might be used to prosecute Bazoum “earlier than competent nationwide and worldwide authorities.”
The announcement might have additional restricted the choices for america, France and regional powers to barter an answer in hopes of restoring the established order earlier than the army coup. “They’re attempting to make it very clear that Bazoum coming again to energy is unacceptable to them,” mentioned Andrew Lebovich, a analysis fellow on the Dutch Clingendael Institute, including that the announcement additionally means that the junta is “utilizing him as a bargaining chip.”
The Related Press reported final week that Niger’s coup leaders in non-public conversations with Western officers threatened to kill Bazoum, who’s being held in a basement of his residence, within the occasion of a army intervention.
Within the rapid aftermath of the coup, the leaders of ECOWAS, a regional bloc of nations, had imposed a deadline on the Nigerien junta, giving it one week to revive Bazoum to workplace. However that deadline handed final week with no indicators of army motion.
ECOWAS reiterated its warnings after an emergency summit on Thursday, saying that the bloc was mobilizing a standby army pressure, however it didn’t present a timeline or specifics for a potential army intervention.
The state of affairs in Niger was additionally the topic of a gathering that convened representatives of the African Union on Monday.
The Nigerien junta’s private and non-private feedback on Bazoum’s future seem to underline its confidence {that a} army intervention stays a slim chance, amid disagreements in Western and in West African capitals over the very best path ahead. Talks between U.S. officers and the junta seem to have produced few tangible outcomes to date.
However the frequency of talks between the worldwide group and the Nigerien junta has shocked some observers. Solely hours earlier than the potential fees towards Bazoum have been introduced on Sunday evening, a spiritual delegation visiting from neighboring Nigeria put out an announcement that raised hopes for de-escalation, saying that the junta had proven a willingness to have interaction diplomatically.
Each side might have an curiosity in persevering with talks. “Even when executed completely, a army intervention can be very dangerous and possibly contain important lack of life,” Lebovich mentioned.
In the meantime, the junta seems to be entrenching itself, naming a brand new authorities final week and staging rallies in exhibits of defiance.
Sunday’s announcement might have been a part of that sample, Lebovich mentioned. “They’ve moved in a short time, implanting themselves and altering the face of the establishments,” he mentioned, including that the junta had not solely changed the highest management but in addition moved to take over state-operated industries within the nation of round 25 million folks.