On the military coup in Niger, papua new Guinea, and the “naked-eye” presidency of the U.S.
The army has always been very powerful and civilian-military relations have always been fraught, even with the jihadist insurgency growing, said a analyst for the Middle East and Africa.
Nicole Kouassi, the acting U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator, told reporters via video from Niamey that 4.3 million people needed humanitarian aid before this week’s military action and 3.3 million faced “acute food insecurity,” the majority of them women and children.
The acting head of the United Nations in Nigeria said that humanitarian aid was still being delivered despite the military suspending flights.
The leaders who appear to be in the coup worked with the U.S. for years. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s special forces, has an especially strong relationship with the U.S., the Western military official said.
Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. The US and other European countries helped train the nation’s troops as part of a joint operation with the Nigeriens.
The Vice President stated that the country’s cooperation was reliant on the continued commitment to democratic standards in the Government of Niger.
Speaking in Papua New Guinea, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup as “completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous for the Nigeriens, Niger and the whole region.”
A military official in the west of the country who is not authorized to speak to the media said the situation was still tense, that there had been talks, but that violence could erupt if things did not calm down.
An analyst has said that the presidential guard is in negotiation with the army about who will be in charge. The analyst spoke on condition they not to be named because of the sensitive situation.
Tchiani wanted to project control, but the situation was not stable. The ECOWAS presidency is held by Nigeria, and it hoped to have the Nigerian delegation left shortly after arriving to work with the president of Benin but that was not to be.
Many in the West think that is what they fear. Tchiani’s criticism of Bazoum’s approach and of how security partnerships have worked in the past will certainly make the U.S., France, and the EU uneasy, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.
A day before, several hundred people were in the city chanting and waving Russian flags. “We’re fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors. “We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush. … We’re going to collaborate with Russia now.”
“Prayers should be made to help bring peace to the country.” We don’t want to see a lot of protests in the country. The shopkeeper said that he hoped the administration did a good job.
It’s not clear who enjoys majority support, but the streets of the capital of Niamey were calm Friday, with a slight celebratory air. It was unclear if the cars thatHoned in Solidarity at the security forces supported the coup. Others sold goods at their shops and people rested after traditional midday prayers.
The mutinous soldiers, who call themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, accused some prominent dignitaries of collaborating with foreign embassies to “extract” the deposed leaders. They said it could lead to violence and warned against foreign military intervention.
Niger’s first democratically elected head of state declared in Abuja on Saturday urged by Security Council condemnation of a “coupled” Niger regime
He asked partners of his country to understand the situation in order to provide all the support they needed to meet the challenges.
“We can no longer continue with the same approaches proposed so far, at the risk of witnessing the gradual and inevitable demise of our country,” Tchiani, who also goes by Omar Tchiani, said in his address. “That is why we decided to intervene and take responsibility.”
Now there are concerns that Niger could follow suit. Before the coup, Wagner, which has sent mercenaries around the world in support of Russia’s interests, already had its sights set on Niger, in part because it’s a large producer of uranium.
The Security Council expressed its disapproval of attempts to change the legitimate government. Its statement, agreed to by all 15 members including the U.S. and Russia, called for “the immediate and unconditional release” of Bazoum and expressed concern over the negative effect of coups in the region, the “increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio—economic situation.”
The coup sparked international condemnation and the West African regional group ECOWAS, which includes Niger and has taken the lead in trying to restore democratic rule in the country, scheduled an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday.
The mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasn’t able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence. Some analysts say that’s just a ruse for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation.
The coup leader was declared the new head of state on Friday, hours after he asked for international help in ending the political crisis in the west African nation.
There are still unresolved conflicts with the military. “There’s a chance that a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, possibly military force, could happen after this one, even if it’s not certain what form that may take,” he said.
In Saturday’s televised address, he stated that. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, who was part of the army which ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against the country and said it would defend itself.
The Foreign Ministry said that France had suspended all development aid and other financial aid for the country. “France demands an immediate return to constitutional order under President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens,” it said.
The international community has supported the French and other African countries, which makes them most at risk of reverting to the West. The continued security and economic arrangements between the U.S. and NIGER are dependent on the release of Bazoum, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday.
The Niger junta that took over Niger in a coup on Sunday protested against the clemency of the old regime
It is time for us to take our lives and work for ourselves. It’s time to discuss our liberty and freedom. We need to stay together, we need to work together, we need to have our true independence,” he said.
Some of the participants at Sunday’s rally warned regional bodies who have denounced the coup to stay away. “I would like to make a suggestion to the EU, African Union, and ECOWAS, please don’t be involved in our business,” Oumar Barou Moussa said at the demonstration.
It’s not bad when you consider that neighboring West African countries have also been battling Islamic extremists such as al- Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The project shows a decline in violence in the last year for one of the three countries.
He claimed that Bazoum wanted to take over from Tchiani who is currently in charge of the country. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said. The AP can’t verify his assessment.
Everybody is wondering why this happened. That’s because no one was expecting it. We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.
There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the country’s future after the ousting of the elected president.
NIAMEY, Niger — Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.