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Niger
Niger coup supporters rally after French ambassador ordered out<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//08//30//eu-working-on-plans-to-sanction-niger-coup-leaders-borrell/">EU working on plans to sanction Niger coup leaders - Borrell<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//26//trapped-in-niger-thousands-of-migrants-who-tried-to-reach-europe-caught-in-the-coup/">Trapped in Niger: Thousands of migrants who tried to reach Europe caught in the coup<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>On Thursday, the spokesman for the French general staff, Colonel Pierre Gaudilli\u00e8re, warned that \"French military forces are ready to respond to any resurgence of tension that would undermine French military and diplomatic bases in Niger\" and that \"measures have been taken to protect these bases\".<\/p>\n<p>The Nigerien coup, which began this summer, has seen protesters gather in large crowds outside the French embassy, some waving Russian flags.<\/p>\n<p>The junta, which styles itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), has made France, Niger's former coloniser, a top target of its efforts to establish full political control of the country.<\/p>\n<p>CNSP member Colonel Obro Amadou recently told a supportive crowd gathered in a stadium that \"The fight will not stop until the day there are no longer any French soldiers in Niger.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's you who are going to drive them out.\"<\/p>\n<p>Another former French colony, Gabon, is also in the throes of a military coup that began when president Ali Bongo ostensibly won re-election in a disputed vote.<\/p>\n<p>While Emmanuel Macron said earlier this year that the era of French interference in Africa is \"over\", many in Gabon, Niger and other ex-colonies remain resentful of France's military presence, its financial interests in extractive industries, and the sway it still holds in regional currency policy.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693489447,"updatedAt":1693496772,"publishedAt":1693496767,"firstPublishedAt":1693496772,"lastPublishedAt":1693496772,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters hold a sign taken from the French Embassy in Niamey during a demonstration that followed a rally in support of Niger's junta.","callToActionText":null,"width":5568,"caption":"Protesters hold a sign taken from the French Embassy in Niamey during a demonstration that followed a rally in support of Niger's junta.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/86\/07\/86\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_15f7a48f-40d8-50b7-a31c-42727d4cbf54-7860786.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3133}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in 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news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_politics_misc','gs_politics_issues_policy','sm_politics','gs_science','gs_science_geography','shadow9hu7_pos_ukrainecrisis','neg_facebook_q4','gs_busfin','neg_facebook_2021','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_intel_en','gs_auto','gt_negative'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"web niger french ambassador expelled","path":"\/2023\/08\/31\/niger-junta-says-french-ambassador-is-being-expelled-by-police","lastModified":1693496772},{"id":2358260,"cid":7857860,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230830_WBWB_52919201","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger\u2019s future is in danger. The international response is making it worse","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger\u2019s future is in danger. World's response is making it worse","titleListing2":"VIEW | We must remember that the impact of prolonged instability extends far beyond geopolitical concerns \u2014 it deeply affects the lives of real people, families, and communities, @PaoloCernuschi writes.","leadin":"We must remember that the impact of prolonged instability extends far beyond geopolitical concerns \u2014 it deeply affects the lives of real people, families, and communities, Paolo Cernuschi writes.","summary":"We must remember that the impact of prolonged instability extends far beyond geopolitical concerns \u2014 it deeply affects the lives of real people, families, and communities, Paolo Cernuschi writes.","keySentence":"","url":"nigers-future-is-in-danger-the-international-response-is-making-it-worse","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/31\/nigers-future-is-in-danger-the-international-response-is-making-it-worse","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The recent coup in Niger, a West African country already grappling with prolonged poverty and instability, has threatened to exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable groups within the country.\u00a0 \n\nAs the Country Director of the International Rescue Committee in Niger, I am deeply concerned about the severe consequences of prolonged instability not only of the coup but of our collective response to it. \n\nNiger was already one of the world's poorest nations, struggling disproportionately with the effects of climate change and the destabilizing regional presence of armed groups.\u00a0 \n\nYet progress was being made: GDP growth last year was 7.2% and was projected to reach almost 12% next year.\u00a0 \n\nAttacks on civilians by armed groups were consistently decreasing, to the point where concrete plans were in progress for the return of the 350,000 internally displaced persons to their homes.\u00a0 \n\nThis positive trend could now be reversed, and humanitarian needs could reach a level not before seen in Niger. \n\nWidespread food insecurity is set to get even worse \n\nIn response to the coup in Niger on 26 July, the international community reacted with three main responses: regional organisation ECOWAS imposed harsh economic sanctions and border closures; the same organisation threatened military intervention to restore constitutional order; and donor countries suspended to varying degrees their aid to Niger. \n\nAll these decisions could have disastrous humanitarian impacts on the most economically vulnerable people my organisation serves. \n\nEven before the current crisis, approximately 3.3 million people, constituting 13% of the population, were living in a state of food insecurity.\u00a0 \n\nIn the week following the announcement of the sanctions, the average price of rice increased by 17%. Local farmers and herders who rely on regional trade are seeing their livelihood opportunities dim. \n\nBorder closures further compound the crisis, preventing life-saving humanitarian supplies from reaching the communities that need them most.\u00a0 \n\nWhile intended to maintain order and security, these closures hinder the flow of essential aid, creating a barrier that separates people from the assistance they require to survive. \n\nOrganisations cannot get critical supplies in. We have en route shipments of life-saving nutritional supplements for 2,300 children that we don\u2019t know when we\u2019ll receive. While we have contingency stocks in place, those will eventually run out. \n\nSanctions could also hamper other humanitarian efforts \n\nIf border closures and sanctions persist, aid supplies running out will be all but a certainty, and the capacity of humanitarian actors to continue delivering will be jeopardised.\u00a0 \n\nBy some estimates, supplies in the country at the time of the coup were sufficient for two to three months of humanitarian response. With supply chains requiring from a few weeks to a couple of months to replenish stocks, we are fast approaching the point where shortages will be inevitable. \n\nCash shortages occurred immediately after the sanctions were imposed, driven by the interruption of transactions within the regional monetary union and a run on banks.\u00a0 \n\nThe situation has moderately improved but strict withdrawal limits are still in place, complicating the work of implementers of cash-based programming.\u00a0 \n\nProtracted cash shortages will make it difficult to continue doing so, threatening one of the most effective ways of delivering aid. \n\nIt is clear that these sanctions, while intended to influence political change and stand up for democracy and international norms, have unintended adverse impacts on the lives of ordinary citizens who are already struggling to meet their basic needs.\u00a0 \n\nThat is why, at the very least, humanitarian exemptions must be guaranteed to ensure continuity of humanitarian work in Niger. \n\nThe 'do no harm' approach must be prioritised \n\nAt the same time, the spectre of a catastrophic military intervention looms, with real fears of regional spillovers.\u00a0 \n\nIn Niamey, it is quietly discussed as a not-so-distant fear, as few want to really contemplate that scenario.\u00a0 \n\nBut its effects on the humanitarian situation in Niger and neighbouring countries would be disastrous, increasing human suffering and growing the humanitarian need beyond what could conceivably be supported.\u00a0 \n\nFor this reason, the international community and regional organisations must prioritise a \u201cdo no harm\u201d approach in dealing with this situation. \n\nFinally, aid suspension announced by several countries is worrying, particularly when it affects programs designed to provide basic services to communities.\u00a0 \n\nWhen, for example, funding to NGO programs supporting the economic development of rural communities is suspended, it directly affects people who are already vulnerable and who have limited power to influence change in a capital city hundreds of kilometres away.\u00a0 \n\nIt undermines years of investments in strengthening community resilience in the face of shocks and crises. And in the longer term, it increases the need for emergency food assistance, putting further pressure on already stretched humanitarian funding. \n\nWe have to prioritise the well-being of all Nigeriens \n\nYears of steady progress in local development and in countering extremism, and with it, hopes of creating a safe future and durable solutions for the people of the region, can backslide quickly if support for communities just stops. \n\nDiplomatic efforts should focus on finding peaceful solutions that prioritise the well-being of all Nigerien citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status.\u00a0 \n\nWe must remember that the impact of prolonged instability extends far beyond geopolitical concerns; it deeply affects the lives of real people, families, and communities.\u00a0 \n\nThe situation in Niger calls for a coordinated and compassionate response that upholds the principles of humanitarianism and ensures that no one is left behind. And the Nigerien people deserve that and a whole lot more. \n\nPaolo Cernuschi serves as Niger Country Director at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). \n\n\nAt Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The recent coup in Niger, a West African country already grappling with prolonged poverty and instability, has threatened to exacerbate the challenges faced by vulnerable groups within the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As the Country Director of the International Rescue Committee in Niger, I am deeply concerned about the severe consequences of prolonged instability not only of the coup but of our collective response to it.<\/p>\n<p>Niger was already one of the world's poorest nations, struggling disproportionately with the effects of climate change and the destabilizing regional presence of armed groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet progress was being made: GDP growth last year was 7.2% and was projected to reach almost 12% next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Attacks on civilians by armed groups were consistently decreasing, to the point where concrete plans were in progress for the return of the 350,000 internally displaced persons to their homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This positive trend could now be reversed, and humanitarian needs could reach a level not before seen in Niger.<\/p>\n<h2>Widespread food insecurity is set to get even worse<\/h2><p>In response to the coup in Niger on 26 July, the international community reacted with three main responses: regional organisation ECOWAS imposed harsh economic sanctions and border closures; the same organisation threatened military intervention to restore constitutional order; and donor countries suspended to varying degrees their aid to Niger.<\/p>\n<p>All these decisions could have disastrous humanitarian impacts on the most economically vulnerable people my organisation serves.<\/p>\n<p>Even before the current crisis, approximately 3.3 million people, constituting 13% of the population, were living in a state of food insecurity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">Border closures further compound the crisis, preventing life-saving humanitarian supplies from reaching the communities that need them most.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//85//78//60//808x539_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/384x257_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/640x428_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/750x501_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/828x553_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1080x721_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1200x802_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1920x1283_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Men stand in a street side market in Niamey, July 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Sam Mednick<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>In the week following the announcement of the sanctions, the average price of rice increased by 17%. Local farmers and herders who rely on regional trade are seeing their livelihood opportunities dim.<\/p>\n<p>Border closures further compound the crisis, preventing life-saving humanitarian supplies from reaching the communities that need them most.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7857368,7833114\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//19//ecowas-delegation-arrives-in-niger-for-last-ditch-diplomatic-push/">ECOWAS delegation arrives in Niger for last-ditch diplomatic push<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//08//30//eu-working-on-plans-to-sanction-niger-coup-leaders-borrell/">EU working on plans to sanction Niger coup leaders - Borrell<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>While intended to maintain order and security, these closures hinder the flow of essential aid, creating a barrier that separates people from the assistance they require to survive.<\/p>\n<p>Organisations cannot get critical supplies in. We have en route shipments of life-saving nutritional supplements for 2,300 children that we don\u2019t know when we\u2019ll receive. While we have contingency stocks in place, those will eventually run out.<\/p>\n<h2>Sanctions could also hamper other humanitarian efforts<\/h2><p>If border closures and sanctions persist, aid supplies running out will be all but a certainty, and the capacity of humanitarian actors to continue delivering will be jeopardised.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>By some estimates, supplies in the country at the time of the coup were sufficient for two to three months of humanitarian response. With supply chains requiring from a few weeks to a couple of months to replenish stocks, we are fast approaching the point where shortages will be inevitable.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-quotation\n widget--size-fullwidth\n widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__content\">\n <blockquote class=\"widget__quote\">\n <span class=\"widget__quoteText\">It is clear that these sanctions ... have unintended adverse impacts on the lives of ordinary citizens who are already struggling to meet their basic needs.<\/span>\n <\/blockquote>\n <cite class=\"widget__author\">\n <\/cite>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//81//04//28//808x542_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Mohammed Babangida\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/384x257_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/640x429_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/750x502_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/828x555_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/1080x724_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/1200x804_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/04\/28\/1920x1286_cmsv2_eb62de84-6d41-5dc0-843e-584ebb04d737-7810428.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Stranded trucks with goods are seen at the border between Nigeria and Niger in Jibia, Nigeria, 3 August 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mohammed Babangida<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Cash shortages occurred immediately after the sanctions were imposed, driven by the interruption of transactions within the regional monetary union and a run on banks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The situation has moderately improved but strict withdrawal limits are still in place, complicating the work of implementers of cash-based programming.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Protracted cash shortages will make it difficult to continue doing so, threatening one of the most effective ways of delivering aid.<\/p>\n<p>It is clear that these sanctions, while intended to influence political change and stand up for democracy and international norms, have unintended adverse impacts on the lives of ordinary citizens who are already struggling to meet their basic needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That is why, at the very least, humanitarian exemptions must be guaranteed to ensure continuity of humanitarian work in Niger.<\/p>\n<h2>The 'do no harm' approach must be prioritised<\/h2><p>At the same time, the spectre of a catastrophic military intervention looms, with real fears of regional spillovers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In Niamey, it is quietly discussed as a not-so-distant fear, as few want to really contemplate that scenario.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But its effects on the humanitarian situation in Niger and neighbouring countries would be disastrous, increasing human suffering and growing the humanitarian need beyond what could conceivably be supported.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For this reason, the international community and regional organisations must prioritise a \u201cdo no harm\u201d approach in dealing with this situation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//83//88//24//808x539_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Mohammed Babangida\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/384x257_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/640x428_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/750x501_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/828x553_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/1080x721_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/1200x802_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/88\/24\/1920x1283_cmsv2_72e46526-f771-561d-a934-730973c72080-7838824.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Women gather at a clinic to have their children vaccinated in Niamey, August 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Mohammed Babangida<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Finally, aid suspension announced by several countries is worrying, particularly when it affects programs designed to provide basic services to communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When, for example, funding to NGO programs supporting the economic development of rural communities is suspended, it directly affects people who are already vulnerable and who have limited power to influence change in a capital city hundreds of kilometres away.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7846608,7833696\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//20//niger-junta-vows-transition-to-civilian-rule-within-three-years/">Niger junta vows transition to civilian rule within three years<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//26//trapped-in-niger-thousands-of-migrants-who-tried-to-reach-europe-caught-in-the-coup/">Trapped in Niger: Thousands of migrants who tried to reach Europe caught in the coup<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It undermines years of investments in strengthening community resilience in the face of shocks and crises. And in the longer term, it increases the need for emergency food assistance, putting further pressure on already stretched humanitarian funding.<\/p>\n<h2>We have to prioritise the well-being of all Nigeriens<\/h2><p>Years of steady progress in local development and in countering extremism, and with it, hopes of creating a safe future and durable solutions for the people of the region, can backslide quickly if support for communities just stops.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//85//78//60//808x539_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/384x257_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/640x428_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/750x501_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/828x553_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1080x721_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1200x802_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/1920x1283_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Mechanics work on a car in Niamey, August 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Sam Mednick<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Diplomatic efforts should focus on finding peaceful solutions that prioritise the well-being of all Nigerien citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>We must remember that the impact of prolonged instability extends far beyond geopolitical concerns; it deeply affects the lives of real people, families, and communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The situation in Niger calls for a coordinated and compassionate response that upholds the principles of humanitarianism and ensures that no one is left behind. And the Nigerien people deserve that and a whole lot more.<\/p>\n<p><em>Paolo Cernuschi serves as Niger Country Director at the International Rescue Committee (IRC).<\/em> <\/p>\n<p><em>At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at <a href=https://www.euronews.com/news/africa/\"mailto:view@euronews.com\">view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693393449,"updatedAt":1693475827,"publishedAt":1693475776,"firstPublishedAt":1693475779,"lastPublishedAt":1693475827,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Euronews","altText":"Nigerien police officers sit outside the customs offices in Niamey, August 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Nigerien police officers sit outside the customs offices in Niamey, August 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_601f6873-d0d1-575f-837a-e1ca31e43f96-7857860.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick","altText":"Mechanics work on a car in Niamey, August 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Mechanics work on a car in Niamey, August 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_6f127b12-2750-5354-9afd-2ceb8dac8c3c-7857860.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick","altText":"Men stand in a street side market in Niamey, July 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Men stand in a street side market in Niamey, July 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/78\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_396cab8e-ab7c-5045-bef4-c58f6b1463dd-7857860.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in 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IRC","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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NIGER CRISIS INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE","path":"\/2023\/08\/31\/nigers-future-is-in-danger-the-international-response-is-making-it-worse","lastModified":1693475827},{"id":2356646,"cid":7853084,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230828_NWSU_52896171","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"French ambassador remains in Niger, defying junta's orders to leave","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"French ambassador remains in Niger, defying junta's orders to leave","titleListing2":"French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that his ambassador to Niger would remain at his post, despite being asked to leave by the ruling junta. Macron condemned the coup leaders while insisting that France was not Niger\u2019s enemy.","leadin":"French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that his ambassador to Niger would remain at his post, despite being asked to leave by the ruling junta.","summary":"French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that his ambassador to Niger would remain at his post, despite being asked to leave by the ruling junta.","keySentence":"","url":"french-ambassador-remains-in-niger-defying-juntas-orders-to-leave","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/28\/french-ambassador-remains-in-niger-defying-juntas-orders-to-leave","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Meeting with his ambassadors on Monday to discuss France's diplomatic priorities, the French president condemned Niger's military junta, insisting that France was not the enemy.\u00a0 \n\nMacron dismissed concerns that standing up to the junta could be dangerous. \n\n\u201cOur policy is the right one. It depends on the courage of President Mohamed Bazoum, the commitment of our diplomats and of our ambassador on the ground who is remaining despite pressure,\u201d\u00a0 he told a gathering of French ambassadors in Paris. \n\nAnti-French sentiment in Niger on the rise \n\nOn Friday, French Ambassador Sylvain Itte received a letter from the Nigerien foreign ministry asking him to leave the country within 48 hours. The new authorities also accused him of ignoring an invitation to a meeting with the department.\u00a0 \n\nSince ousting Niger's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, last month, the junta has been exploiting grievances among the population towards their former colonial ruler France. The French Embassy in Niamey was attacked in the early days of the coup on the 26th of July. \n\nBefore the takeover, the former French colony was seen as the West\u2019s last major partner against Islamist violence in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert, which is rife with anti-French sentiment. \n\n\u00a0France has about 1,500 troops in Niger supporting local forces fighting Islamic extremists. The military cooperation has been suspended since the coup, its leaders say Bazoum's government wasn't doing enough to protect the country. \n\nThe military leaders have requested help from the Russian mercenary group, Wagner. However, since the death of the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last week, the status of the request is unknown. \n\nFrance has consistently acknowledged only the authority of Bazoum. He is still being detained by soldiers, who are now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers. \n\nInternational sanctions on the Nigerien Junta \n\nThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup and threatened military action should the putschists not step down. However, they stressed they still preferred diplomacy. Along with the African Union, they have also suspended the country's membership in the bloc. \n\nThe ECOWAS Commission president, Omar Alieu Touray, said Friday that their threat to use force to reinstate Bazoum was \u201cstill on the table,\u201d rejecting the junta\u2019s three-year transition plan. \n\nECOWAS has not provided details of what a military intervention would look like. However, they said they have activated a so-called 'standby force.'\u00a0\u00a0The community has said it must reverse the coup in Niger to \u201chalt the spiral of coups\u201d in West Africa.\u00a0 \n\nHowever, the use of military force is not unanimous within the group.\u00a0Eleven of the bloc\u2019s 15 countries, not including Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger itself, have expressed commitments to deploy troops to restore democracy in Niger once a decision is made to intervene. \n\nMeanwhile, the militia allied itself with other West African nations currently led by putschists: Mali and Burkina Faso. \n\nOn the 25th of August, the junta leader, Brig. Gen. Abdrahmane Tchiani signed two executive orders authorising the \u201csecurity forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression.\u201d\u00a0 \n\nThe agreement between the three countries was the latest of several actions taken by Niger\u2019s mutinous soldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a junta they have said would rule for up to three years, further escalating the crisis after last month\u2019s coup in the country of more than 25 million people. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Meeting with his ambassadors on Monday to discuss France's diplomatic priorities, the French president condemned Niger's military junta, insisting that France was not the enemy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Macron dismissed concerns that standing up to the junta could be dangerous.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur policy is the right one. It depends on the courage of President Mohamed Bazoum, the commitment of our diplomats and of our ambassador on the ground who is remaining despite pressure,\u201d\u00a0 he told a gathering of French ambassadors in Paris.<\/p>\n<h2>Anti-French sentiment in Niger on the rise<\/h2><p>On Friday, French Ambassador Sylvain Itte received a letter from the Nigerien foreign ministry asking him to leave the country within 48 hours. The new authorities also accused him of ignoring an invitation to a meeting with the department.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since ousting Niger's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, last month, the junta has been exploiting grievances among the population towards their former colonial ruler France. The French Embassy in Niamey was attacked in the early days of the coup on the 26th of July.<\/p>\n<p>Before the takeover, the former French colony was seen as the West\u2019s last major partner against Islamist violence in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert, which is rife with anti-French sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0France has about 1,500 troops in Niger supporting local forces fighting Islamic extremists. The military cooperation has been suspended since the coup, its leaders say Bazoum's government wasn't doing enough to protect the country.<\/p>\n<p>The military leaders have requested help from the Russian mercenary group, Wagner. However, since the death of the group's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, last week, the status of the request is unknown.<\/p>\n<p>France has consistently acknowledged only the authority of Bazoum. He is still being detained by soldiers, who are now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.<\/p>\n<h2>International sanctions on the Nigerien Junta<\/h2><p>The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup and threatened military action should the putschists not step down. However, they stressed they still preferred diplomacy. Along with the African Union, they have also suspended the country's membership in the bloc.<\/p>\n<p>The ECOWAS Commission president, Omar Alieu Touray, said Friday that their threat to use force to reinstate Bazoum was \u201cstill on the table,\u201d <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//20//niger-junta-vows-transition-to-civilian-rule-within-three-years/">rejecting the junta\u2019s three-year transition plan.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS has not provided details of what a military intervention would look like. However, they said they have activated a so-called 'standby force.'\u00a0\u00a0The community has said it must reverse the coup in Niger to \u201chalt the spiral of coups\u201d in West Africa.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, the use of military force is not unanimous within the group.\u00a0Eleven of the bloc\u2019s 15 countries, not including Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger itself, have expressed commitments to deploy troops to restore democracy in Niger once a decision is made to intervene.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the militia allied itself with other West African nations currently led by putschists: Mali and Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n<p>On the 25th of August, the junta leader, Brig. Gen. Abdrahmane Tchiani signed two executive orders authorising the \u201csecurity forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The agreement between the three countries was the latest of several actions taken by Niger\u2019s mutinous soldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a junta they have said would rule for up to three years, further escalating the crisis after last month\u2019s coup in the country of more than 25 million people.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693228835,"updatedAt":1693245611,"publishedAt":1693245265,"firstPublishedAt":1693245269,"lastPublishedAt":1693245269,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Euronews","altText":"cleared","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"cleared","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/30\/92\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_12e5a941-493d-5bfb-8910-e942f2422cb4-7853092.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"military-junta","titleRaw":"military junta","id":27254,"title":"military junta","slug":"military-junta"},{"urlSafeValue":"mohamed-bazoum","titleRaw":"Mohamed 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AMBASSADORS ANELISE ASLIVE","path":"\/2023\/08\/28\/french-ambassador-remains-in-niger-defying-juntas-orders-to-leave","lastModified":1693245269},{"id":2356582,"cid":7852902,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230828_NCSU_52895281","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"WATCH: Nigeriens in Niamey demand the departure of French troops","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"WATCH: Nigeriens in Niamey demand the departure of French troops","titleListing2":"Pro-junta supporters in Niger took to the streets of Niamey on Sunday to demand the departure of French troops.","leadin":"Pro-junta supporters in Niger took to the streets of Niamey on Sunday to demand the departure of French troops.","summary":"Pro-junta supporters in Niger took to the streets of Niamey on Sunday to demand the departure of French troops.","keySentence":"","url":"watch-nigeriens-in-niamey-demand-the-departure-of-french-troops","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/28\/watch-nigeriens-in-niamey-demand-the-departure-of-french-troops","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Demonstrators rallied around the Escadrille roundabout, near the French military base in Niamey's outskirts. They demanded foreign troops to leave the country, chanting, \"We don't want the French army in Niger, let them go.\"\u00a0 \n\nSince ousting Niger\u2019s democratically elected president a month ago, the junta has been exploiting grievances among the population toward former colonial ruler France and has turned to Russian mercenary group Wagner for help. \n\nFrance has about 1,500 troops in Niger helping local forces fight Islamic extremists. The military cooperation has been suspended since the coup. \n\nTheir leaders say Bazoum's government wasn't doing enough to protect the country. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Demonstrators rallied around the Escadrille roundabout, near the French military base in Niamey's outskirts. They demanded foreign troops to leave the country, chanting, \"We don't want the French army in Niger, let them go.\"\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Since ousting Niger\u2019s democratically elected president a month ago, the junta has been exploiting grievances among the population toward former colonial ruler France and has turned to Russian mercenary group Wagner for help.<\/p>\n<p>France has about 1,500 troops in Niger helping local forces fight Islamic extremists. The military cooperation has been suspended since the coup.<\/p>\n<p>Their leaders say Bazoum's government wasn't doing enough to protect the country.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1693223654,"updatedAt":1693231026,"publishedAt":1693230562,"firstPublishedAt":1693230566,"lastPublishedAt":1693230566,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Pro-junta supporters rally in Niamey to demand departure of French troops","callToActionText":null,"width":4240,"caption":"Pro-junta supporters rally in Niamey to demand departure of French troops","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/85\/29\/14\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_875ca97f-cdb8-55a1-8bb8-e3ec131cd63a-7852914.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2832}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"niamey","titleRaw":"Niamey","id":3706,"title":"Niamey","slug":"niamey"},{"urlSafeValue":"emmanuel-macron","titleRaw":"Emmanuel Macron","id":12357,"title":"Emmanuel Macron","slug":"emmanuel-macron"},{"urlSafeValue":"paris","titleRaw":"Paris","id":412,"title":"Paris","slug":"paris"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2356514},{"id":2355826}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"YmLQzZgL2EQ","dailymotionId":"x8nj8gv"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7630651,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/28\/en\/230828_NCSU_52895281_52895411_60000_140857_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11792699,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/08\/28\/en\/230828_NCSU_52895281_52895411_60000_140857_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no 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NIGER ANTI-FRENCH RALLY","path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/28\/watch-nigeriens-in-niamey-demand-the-departure-of-french-troops","lastModified":1693230566},{"id":2354408,"cid":7846608,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230825_NWSU_52867322","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Trapped in Niger: Thousands of migrants who tried to reach Europe caught in the coup","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Thousands of migrants who tried to reach Europe caught in Niger's coup","titleListing2":"Trapped in Niger: Thousands of migrants who tried to reach Europe caught in the coup","leadin":"Sahr John Yambasu watched people die at sea and abandoned his journey but is among thousands who can't return home as borders closed following the coup in Niger.","summary":"Sahr John Yambasu watched people die at sea and abandoned his journey but is among thousands who can't return home as borders closed following the coup in Niger.","keySentence":"","url":"trapped-in-niger-thousands-of-migrants-who-tried-to-reach-europe-caught-in-the-coup","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/26\/trapped-in-niger-thousands-of-migrants-who-tried-to-reach-europe-caught-in-the-coup","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"After three months of crossing the desert and then watching other migrants die at sea in a failed attempt to reach Europe, Sahr John Yambasu gave up on getting across the Mediterranean and decided to go back home. \n\nThe 29-year-old from Sierra Leone reached Niger in June on his return journey, but United Nations officials said he had to wait for packed migrant centres to empty before he could be repatriated. \n\nThen soldiers toppled Niger's president a few weeks later, which led to the borders being closed.\u00a0 \n\nYambasu was trapped. \n\nHe is one of nearly 7,000 discouraged migrants trying to get home to Africa that the UN estimates have been stranded in Niger since late July when members of the presidential guard overthrew the country's democratically elected president, Mohamad Bazoum. \n\nNiger's junta closed its airspace and nearby countries closed border crossings as part of economic and travel sanctions, making it hard for people to leave. \n\nNiger is an important route both for Africans trying to reach Libya as a jumping off spot to cross the Mediterranean to Europe and those who are returning to their homes with help from the United Nations. \n\nYambasu and others like him are unsure when they will be able to leave. \n\n\u201cI feel sad because it\u2019s a country that I don\u2019t belong to. It\u2019s not easy,\u201d Yambasu said. \n\nHe said he left Sierra Leone in June because of political unrest and was hoping to reach Germany. He got rides across the region until arriving in Libya, where he boarded a boat with some 200 other migrants.\u00a0 \n\nThe boat spent days at sea, with some people dying onboard before it was intercepted by Libya's coast guard and taken back to shore. \n\nThat was enough for him and he headed for home. Helped by aid groups, he made it as far as Niger but has been unable to go farther. \n\nUN officials estimate about 1,800 in Yambasu's position are living on Niger's streets because centres run by the International Organisation for Migration are too crowded to take in more. The centres hold about 5,000 people trying to get home. \n\nThe UN agency had been assisting approximately 1,250 people a month return to their countries this year. But the closure of borders and airspace has forced it to temporarily suspend returns. \n\n\u201cThis situation poses challenges for migrants as migrants staying in these centres may experience heightened stress and uncertainty with limited prospects for voluntary return and already crowded facilities,\u201d Paola Pace, acting interim chief of mission for the agency in Niger, said. \n\nPace worries the stall in the transiting of Africans seeking to get home could increase exploitation of vulnerable people by traffickers and smugglers who normally focus on individuals trying to migrate to Europe. \n\nThe shelters are helping people who are making their way home, rather than would-be migrants heading to Europe. \n\nCOOPI, an Italian aid group that provides shelter for migrants in Niger's northern town of Assamakka near the border with Algeria and assists the UN in hosting people,\u00a0has warned it will run out of food and water if the borders don't open soon. \n\nNot only are migrants unable to leave but aid groups are unable to bring in food and medical supplies. \n\nMorena Zucchelli, head of mission for COOPI in Niger, said it has only enough food stocks to last until the end of August and its funding will run out at the end of September. \n\nBefore the coup, Niger worked with the European Union in trying to slow the flow of migrants north to Libya and Algeria.\u00a0 \n\nIt\u2019s unclear how cooperative the new military leaders will be with the EU, which has now frozen assistance to Niger. Anitta Hipper, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, could not say Tuesday whether cooperation on migration had been suspended, saying only that the EU would continue to \u201cmonitor and evaluate the situation.\u201d \n\nMomo Kmulbah is another of those trying to get back home, for him in Liberia. He says many of them have nowhere to turn for help.\u00a0 \n\nThe 36-year-old has been sleeping on the pavement in Niger's capital, Niamey, with his two daughters and wife since June and they beg for food. \n\n\u201cOur children don\u2019t have food to eat. I feel confused when I wake up in the morning,\u201d Kmulbah said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>After three months of crossing the desert and then watching other migrants die at sea in a failed attempt to reach Europe, Sahr John Yambasu gave up on getting across the Mediterranean and decided to go back home.<\/p>\n<p>The 29-year-old from Sierra Leone reached Niger in June on his return journey, but United Nations officials said he had to wait for packed migrant centres to empty before he could be repatriated.<\/p>\n<p>Then soldiers toppled Niger's president a few weeks later, which led to the borders being closed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yambasu was trapped.<\/p>\n<p>He is one of nearly 7,000 discouraged migrants trying to get home to Africa that the UN estimates have been stranded in Niger since late July when members of the presidential guard overthrew the country's democratically elected president, Mohamad Bazoum.<\/p>\n<p>Niger's junta closed its airspace and nearby countries closed border crossings as part of economic and travel sanctions, making it hard for people to leave.<\/p>\n<p>Niger is an important route both for Africans trying to reach Libya as a jumping off spot to cross the Mediterranean to Europe and those who are returning to their homes with help from the United Nations.<\/p>\n<p>Yambasu and others like him are unsure when they will be able to leave.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel sad because it\u2019s a country that I don\u2019t belong to. It\u2019s not easy,\u201d Yambasu said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//84//66//08//808x454_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/384x216_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/640x360_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/750x422_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/828x466_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/1080x608_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/1200x675_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/1920x1080_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Migrants stuck in Niamey, Niger, in their makeshift camp<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo\/Sam Mednick<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>He said he left Sierra Leone in June because of political unrest and was hoping to reach Germany. He got rides across the region until arriving in Libya, where he boarded a boat with some 200 other migrants.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The boat spent days at sea, with some people dying onboard before it was intercepted by Libya's coast guard and taken back to shore.<\/p>\n<p>That was enough for him and he headed for home. Helped by aid groups, he made it as far as Niger but has been unable to go farther.<\/p>\n<p>UN officials estimate about 1,800 in Yambasu's position are living on Niger's streets because centres run by the International Organisation for Migration are too crowded to take in more. The centres hold about 5,000 people trying to get home.<\/p>\n<p>The UN agency had been assisting approximately 1,250 people a month return to their countries this year. But the closure of borders and airspace has forced it to temporarily suspend returns.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis situation poses challenges for migrants as migrants staying in these centres may experience heightened stress and uncertainty with limited prospects for voluntary return and already crowded facilities,\u201d Paola Pace, acting interim chief of mission for the agency in Niger, said.<\/p>\n<p>Pace worries the stall in the transiting of Africans seeking to get home could increase exploitation of vulnerable people by traffickers and smugglers who normally focus on individuals trying to migrate to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>The shelters are helping people who are making their way home, rather than would-be migrants heading to Europe.<\/p>\n<p>COOPI, an Italian aid group that provides shelter for migrants in Niger's northern town of Assamakka near the border with Algeria and assists the UN in hosting people,\u00a0has warned it will run out of food and water if the borders don't open soon.<\/p>\n<p>Not only are migrants unable to leave but aid groups are unable to bring in food and medical supplies.<\/p>\n<p>Morena Zucchelli, head of mission for COOPI in Niger, said it has only enough food stocks to last until the end of August and its funding will run out at the end of September.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7839666,7831318,7829772\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//21//scenes-of-absolute-horror-saudi-border-guards-guilty-of-mass-killings-of-migrants-says-hrw/">'Scenes of absolute horror': Saudi border guards guilty of mass killings of migrants, says HRW<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//23//should-government-or-ngos-save-migrants-at-sea-what-does-the-law-say/">Should government or NGOs save migrants at sea? What does the law say?<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//18//poland-to-hold-referendum-on-accepting-migrants-as-part-of-eu-scheme/">Poland to hold referendum on accepting migrants as part of EU scheme<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Before the coup, Niger worked with the European Union in trying to slow the flow of migrants north to Libya and Algeria.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear how cooperative the new military leaders will be with the EU, which has now frozen assistance to Niger. Anitta Hipper, a spokeswoman for the European Commission, could not say Tuesday whether cooperation on migration had been suspended, saying only that the EU would continue to \u201cmonitor and evaluate the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Momo Kmulbah is another of those trying to get back home, for him in Liberia. He says many of them have nowhere to turn for help.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The 36-year-old has been sleeping on the pavement in Niger's capital, Niamey, with his two daughters and wife since June and they beg for food.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur children don\u2019t have food to eat. I feel confused when I wake up in the morning,\u201d Kmulbah said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692955200,"updatedAt":1693033694,"publishedAt":1693033686,"firstPublishedAt":1693033693,"lastPublishedAt":1693033693,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick","altText":"Sahr John Yambasu is trapped in Niger. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Sahr John Yambasu is trapped in Niger. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_a95a2b48-433c-51f2-bcb0-80e6e0370c76-7846608.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo\/Sam Mednick","altText":"Migrants stuck in Niamey, Niger, in their makeshift camp","callToActionText":null,"width":1600,"caption":"Migrants stuck in Niamey, Niger, in their makeshift camp","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/66\/08\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9c480939-405e-5932-9ad2-6acc29fefda6-7846608.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":900}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"europe","titleRaw":"Europe","id":9239,"title":"Europe","slug":"europe"},{"urlSafeValue":"mediterranean-sea","titleRaw":"Mediterranean Sea","id":13414,"title":"Mediterranean Sea","slug":"mediterranean-sea"},{"urlSafeValue":"migration","titleRaw":"migration","id":13450,"title":"migration","slug":"migration"},{"urlSafeValue":"sierra-leone","titleRaw":"Sierra Leone","id":7879,"title":"Sierra Leone","slug":"sierra-leone"},{"urlSafeValue":"migrants","titleRaw":"Migrants","id":13190,"title":"Migrants","slug":"migrants"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2345368},{"id":2338150}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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Thousands of discouraged migrants are stranded in Niger because of border closures following coup","path":"\/2023\/08\/26\/trapped-in-niger-thousands-of-migrants-who-tried-to-reach-europe-caught-in-the-coup","lastModified":1693033693},{"id":2354958,"cid":7848464,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230826_NWSU_52877428","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger coup supporters rally after French ambassador ordered out","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger coup supporters rally after French ambassador ordered out","titleListing2":"Niger coup supporters rally after the French ambassador was given 48 hours to leave the country on Saturday","leadin":"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had told coup leaders in Niger it was not too late to return to civilian rule despite the junta demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador","summary":"The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had told coup leaders in Niger it was not too late to return to civilian rule despite the junta demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador","keySentence":"","url":"niger-junta-tells-french-ambassador-to-leave-the-country","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/26\/niger-junta-tells-french-ambassador-to-leave-the-country","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Tens of thousands of people rallied in Niamey on Saturday in support of last month's coup, a day after the country's new military rulers gave France's ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the country. \n\nThe Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas horns reportedly rang out. \n\nThe flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger's national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch. \n\n\"We have the right to choose the partners we want,\" said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, wearing Nigerien flags from head to toe. \"France must respect this choice. \n\n\"For sixty years, we have never been independent, only since the day of the coup d'etat,\" she said. \n\nBoubacar added that the country fully supported the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum's government on July 26. \n\nThe CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target. \n\n\"The fight will not stop until the day there are no longer any French soldiers in Niger,\" CNSP member Colonel Obro Amadou told the stadium crowd on Saturday. \n\n\"It's you who are going to drive them out,\" he said. \n\n'Ready to fight' \n\nOn Friday, Niger's foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were \"contrary to the interests of Niger\". \n\nParis has since rejected the demand, saying that \"the putschists do not have the authority to make this request.\" \n\n\"The French ambassador, instead of leaving, thinks this is the land of his parents,\" said Idrissa Halidou, a healthcare worker and CNSP member who was attending Saturday's rally. \n\n\"We are people of war, we are ready to fight against\" the Economic Community of West African States, he added. \n\nThe West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum. \n\nEfforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials. \n\nThey met in Nigeria's capital Abuja, which holds the ECOWAS presidency. \n\nThe US State Department said Phee was also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo, fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc. \n\nThe new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France's pocket. \n\nFrance has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Tens of thousands of people rallied in Niamey on Saturday in support of last month's coup, a day after the country's new military rulers gave France's ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the country.<\/p>\n<p>The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas horns reportedly rang out.<\/p>\n<p>The flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger's national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch.<\/p>\n<p>\"We have the right to choose the partners we want,\" said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, wearing Nigerien flags from head to toe. \"France must respect this choice.<\/p>\n<p>\"For sixty years, we have never been independent, only since the day of the coup d'etat,\" she said.<\/p>\n<p>Boubacar added that the country fully supported the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum's government on July 26.<\/p>\n<p>The CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target.<\/p>\n<p>\"The fight will not stop until the day there are no longer any French soldiers in Niger,\" CNSP member Colonel Obro Amadou told the stadium crowd on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's you who are going to drive them out,\" he said.<\/p>\n<h3>'Ready to fight'<\/h3><p>On Friday, Niger's foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were \"contrary to the interests of Niger\".<\/p>\n<p>Paris has since rejected the demand, saying that \"the putschists do not have the authority to make this request.\"<\/p>\n<p>\"The French ambassador, instead of leaving, thinks this is the land of his parents,\" said Idrissa Halidou, a healthcare worker and CNSP member who was attending Saturday's rally.<\/p>\n<p>\"We are people of war, we are ready to fight against\" the Economic Community of West African States, he added.<\/p>\n<p>The West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials.<\/p>\n<p>They met in Nigeria's capital Abuja, which holds the ECOWAS presidency.<\/p>\n<p>The US State Department said Phee was also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo, fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc.<\/p>\n<p>The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France's pocket.<\/p>\n<p>France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692999947,"updatedAt":1693117624,"publishedAt":1693031336,"firstPublishedAt":1693031340,"lastPublishedAt":1693117112,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters support coup leaders in Niger","callToActionText":null,"width":800,"caption":"Protesters support coup leaders in Niger","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/84\/84\/66\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_77222206-3a6a-546b-b35f-3010279868f8-7848466.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":493}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"diplomacy","titleRaw":"Diplomacy","id":12034,"title":"Diplomacy","slug":"diplomacy"},{"urlSafeValue":"expulsion","titleRaw":"expulsion","id":28392,"title":"expulsion","slug":"expulsion"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2331886},{"id":2350002},{"id":2356646}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Uq1_mBv7IPg","dailymotionId":"x8nhs5b"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7888643,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/27\/en\/230827_NWSU_52883687_52884815_60000_081700_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":12107523,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/27\/en\/230827_NWSU_52883687_52884815_60000_081700_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews ","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gb_safe_from_high','gb_safe_from_high_med','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gt_negative','gs_busfin'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER A MONTH LATER","path":"\/2023\/08\/26\/niger-junta-tells-french-ambassador-to-leave-the-country","lastModified":1693117112},{"id":2350002,"cid":7833696,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230820_NWSU_52809748","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger junta vows transition to civilian rule within three years","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger junta vows transition to civilian rule within three years","titleListing2":"Niger junta vows transition to civilian rule within three years","leadin":"General Abdourahmane Tchiani gave no details on the plan, saying on state television only that the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta.","summary":"General Abdourahmane Tchiani gave no details on the plan, saying on state television only that the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta.","keySentence":"","url":"niger-junta-vows-transition-to-civilian-rule-within-three-years","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/20\/niger-junta-vows-transition-to-civilian-rule-within-three-years","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The leader of mutinous soldiers who ousted Niger's democratically elected president said Saturday night that they will return the country to civilian rule within three years. \n\nGeneral Abdourahmane Tchiani gave no details on the plan, saying on state television only that the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta. \n\n\u201cI am convinced that ... we will work together to find a way out of the crisis, in the interests of all,\u201d Tchiani said, commenting after his first meeting with a regional delegation seeking to resolve the West African nation\u2019s crisis. \n\nThe delegation from the ECOWAS bloc, headed by former Nigerian head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, also met separately with toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. It joined reconciliation efforts by Leonardo Santos Simao, the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, who arrived Friday. \n\nECOWAS on August 10 ordered the deployment of a \u201cstandby force\u201d to restore constitutional rule in Niger. On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states had agreed to commit troops to military intervention, saying they were \u201cready to go.\u201d \n\nThe soldiers who overthrew Bazoum last month have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital. \n\nThe 11 member states that agreed to intervene militarily don\u2019t include the bloc\u2019s three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Niger's state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity. \n\nFriday's announcement was the latest in a series of so far empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, conflict analysts say. Immediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action. \n\n\u201cThe putschists won\u2019t be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action,\u201d said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. \n\nJunta cementing its rule \n\nThe junta leaders are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said. \n\n\u201cNiger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan,\u201d said Laessing. \n\nECOWAS used force to restore order in 2017 in Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. That move involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow. \n\nAlso on Saturday, the new US ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The US hasn\u2019t had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years. \n\nFitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the US policy position, he said. \n\nPreparing to fight\u00a0 \n\nOn the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they were preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention. \n\nThousands of people in the capital of Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as fighters and volunteers to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up. \n\nSome people said they'd been waiting since 3 a.m., while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country's former colonial ruler France. \n\n\u2033I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that,\" said Ismail Hassan, a resident waiting in line to register. \u201cIf God wills, we will all go.\" \n\nEvents organizer Amsarou Bako claimed the junta was not involved in recruiting volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didn't explain why. \n\nThe humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the UN's West Africa and Sahel special representative. \n\nWestern partnerships \n\nBefore the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said. \n\nPrior to the coup, Western countries had seen Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Niger\u2019s forces. \n\nSince the coup, former jihadis have told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the US and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital. \n\nLast week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in an ambush by militants. It was the first major attack against Niger\u2019s army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP. \n\n\u201cWhile Niger\u2019s leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside,\u201d said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region. \n\n\u201cThe recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war,\" she said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The leader of mutinous soldiers who ousted Niger's democratically elected president said Saturday night that they will return the country to civilian rule within three years.<\/p>\n<p>General Abdourahmane Tchiani gave no details on the plan, saying on state television only that the principles for the transition would be decided within 30 days at a dialogue to be hosted by the junta.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am convinced that ... we will work together to find a way out of the crisis, in the interests of all,\u201d Tchiani said, commenting after his first meeting with a regional delegation seeking to resolve the West African nation\u2019s crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The delegation from the ECOWAS bloc, headed by former Nigerian head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, also met separately with toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. It joined reconciliation efforts by Leonardo Santos Simao, the UN special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, who arrived Friday.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS on August 10 ordered the deployment of a \u201cstandby force\u201d to restore constitutional rule in Niger. On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states had agreed to commit troops to military intervention, saying they were \u201cready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The soldiers who overthrew Bazoum last month have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital.<\/p>\n<p>The 11 member states that agreed to intervene militarily don\u2019t include the bloc\u2019s three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Niger's state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity.<\/p>\n<p>Friday's announcement was the latest in a series of so far empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, conflict analysts say. Immediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe putschists won\u2019t be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action,\u201d said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank.<\/p>\n<h3>Junta cementing its rule<\/h3><p>The junta leaders are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNiger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan,\u201d said Laessing.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS used force to restore order in 2017 in Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. That move involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Saturday, the new US ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The US hasn\u2019t had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years.<\/p>\n<p>FitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the US policy position, he said.<\/p>\n<h3>Preparing to fight<\/h3><p>On the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they were preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of people in the capital of Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as fighters and volunteers to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up.<\/p>\n<p>Some people said they'd been waiting since 3 a.m., while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country's former colonial ruler France.<\/p>\n<p>\u2033I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that,\" said Ismail Hassan, a resident waiting in line to register. \u201cIf God wills, we will all go.\"<\/p>\n<p>Events organizer Amsarou Bako claimed the junta was not involved in recruiting volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didn't explain why.<\/p>\n<p>The humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the UN's West Africa and Sahel special representative.<\/p>\n<h3>Western partnerships<\/h3><p>Before the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to the coup, Western countries had seen Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Niger\u2019s forces.<\/p>\n<p>Since the coup, former jihadis have told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the US and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded in an ambush by militants. It was the first major attack against Niger\u2019s army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile Niger\u2019s leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside,\u201d said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war,\" she said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692490414,"updatedAt":1692512464,"publishedAt":1692511775,"firstPublishedAt":1692511778,"lastPublishedAt":1692511778,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"ECOWAS delegation in Niamey, Niger. August 19, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"ECOWAS delegation in Niamey, Niger. August 19, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/36\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d98dd5b2-0433-5f7c-a03d-b0c2953259e3-7833698.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":674}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"diplomacy","titleRaw":"Diplomacy","id":12034,"title":"Diplomacy","slug":"diplomacy"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2354958},{"id":2356646}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"njJ-7RPOaYs","dailymotionId":"x8ncmaz"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7596805,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/20\/en\/230820_NWSU_52809748_52810581_60000_074423_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11686661,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/20\/en\/230820_NWSU_52809748_52810581_60000_074423_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gv_military','gs_busfin'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER ECOWAS MEETINGS","path":"\/2023\/08\/20\/niger-junta-vows-transition-to-civilian-rule-within-three-years","lastModified":1692511778},{"id":2349804,"cid":7833114,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230819_NWSU_52806665","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"ECOWAS delegation arrives in Niger for last-ditch diplomatic push","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"ECOWAS delegation arrives in Niger for last-ditch diplomatic push","titleListing2":"ECOWAS delegation arrives in Niger for last-ditch diplomatic push","leadin":"On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states agreed to commit troops to a military deployment, saying they were \u201cready to go\u201d whenever the order was given.","summary":"On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states agreed to commit troops to a military deployment, saying they were \u201cready to go\u201d whenever the order was given.","keySentence":"","url":"ecowas-delegation-arrives-in-niger-for-last-ditch-diplomatic-push","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/19\/ecowas-delegation-arrives-in-niger-for-last-ditch-diplomatic-push","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A delegation from regional nations arrived in Niger Saturday afternoon in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country's president last month. \n\nThe representatives from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, came to the capital, Niamey, and joined efforts by United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, who arrived on Friday, in trying to facilitate a resolution to the ongoing crisis. \n\nOn Friday UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Simao would meet with the junta and other parties to try and facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to Niger\u2019s crisis. \n\n\u201cWhat we want to see is a return to the constitutional order. We want to see the liberation of the president and his family and restoration of his legitimate authority,\u201d he said. \n\nOn August 10, ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a \u201cstandby force\u201d to restore constitutional rule in the country. \n\nThe soldiers who overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital. \n\nOn Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states agreed to commit troops to a military deployment, saying they were \u201cready to go\u201d whenever the order was given. \n\nThe 11 member states don\u2019t include Niger itself and the bloc\u2019s three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Niger's state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity. \n\nFragile country \n\nFriday's announcement is the latest in a series of empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, say conflict analysts. \n\nImmediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action. \n\n\u201cThe putschists won\u2019t be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action,\u201d said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. Meanwhile, the mutinous soldiers are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said. \n\n\u201cNiger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan,\u201d said Laessing. \n\nECOWAS used force to restore order in member countries in 2017 in Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. But even in that case, the move had involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow. \n\nAlso on Saturday, the new United States Ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The US hasn\u2019t had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years. \n\nFitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the US policy position, he said. \n\nPreparing to fight back \n\nOn the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they're preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention. \n\nThousands of people in Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as volunteers, fighters and to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up; others said they'd been waiting since 3 a.m., while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country's former colonial ruler France. \n\n\"I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that,\" said Ismail Hassan a resident waiting in line to register. \u201cIf God wills, we will all go.\" \n\nEvents organizer Amsarou Bako claimed that the junta was not involved in finding volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didn't explain why. \n\nThe humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the UN's West Africa and Sahel special representative. \n\nBefore the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said. \n\nPartnership against extremism \n\nPreviously, Western countries saw Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Niger\u2019s forces. \n\nSince the coup, former jihadis told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the US and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital. \n\nLast week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 injured during an ambush by jihadis. It was the first major attack against Niger\u2019s army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region, by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP. \n\n\u201cWhile Niger\u2019s leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside,\u201d said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region. \n\n\u201cThe recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war. In due time, Nigeriens and their partners should look long and hard at why and how democracy in Niger faltered,\u201d she said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A delegation from regional nations arrived in Niger Saturday afternoon in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to reach a peaceful solution with mutinous soldiers who ousted the country's president last month.<\/p>\n<p>The representatives from the West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, came to the capital, Niamey, and joined efforts by United Nations Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, who arrived on Friday, in trying to facilitate a resolution to the ongoing crisis.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Simao would meet with the junta and other parties to try and facilitate a swift and peaceful resolution to Niger\u2019s crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we want to see is a return to the constitutional order. We want to see the liberation of the president and his family and restoration of his legitimate authority,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>On August 10, ECOWAS ordered the deployment of a \u201cstandby force\u201d to restore constitutional rule in the country.<\/p>\n<p>The soldiers who overthrew Niger's democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July have quickly entrenched themselves in power, rebuffed most dialogue efforts and kept Bazoum, his wife and son under house arrest in the capital.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, the ECOWAS commissioner for peace and security, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said 11 of its 15 member states agreed to commit troops to a military deployment, saying they were \u201cready to go\u201d whenever the order was given.<\/p>\n<p>The 11 member states don\u2019t include Niger itself and the bloc\u2019s three other countries under military rule following coups: Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso. The latter two have warned they would consider any intervention in Niger an act of war. On Friday, Niger's state television said that Mali and Burkina Faso had dispatched warplanes in a show of solidarity.<\/p>\n<h3>Fragile country<\/h3><p>Friday's announcement is the latest in a series of empty threats by ECOWAS to forcefully restore democratic rule in Niger, say conflict analysts.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after the coup, the bloc gave the junta seven days to release and restore Bazoum, a deadline that came and went with no action.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe putschists won\u2019t be holding their breath this time over the renewed threat of military action,\u201d said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank. Meanwhile, the mutinous soldiers are cementing their rule and appointing loyal commanders to key units while ECOWAS has no experience with military action in hostile territory and would have no local support if it tried to intervene, he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNiger is a very fragile country that can easily turn, in case of a military intervention, into a failed state like Sudan,\u201d said Laessing.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS used force to restore order in member countries in 2017 in Gambia when longtime President Yahya Jammeh refused to step down after he lost the presidential election. But even in that case, the move had involved diplomatic efforts led by the then-presidents of Mauritania and Guinea, while Jammeh appeared to be acting on his own after the Gambian army pledged allegiance to the winner of the election, Adama Barrow.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Saturday, the new United States Ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, arrived in the capital, said Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department. The US hasn\u2019t had an ambassador in the country for nearly two years.<\/p>\n<p>FitzGibbon will focus on advocating for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained, said Miller. Her arrival does not reflect a change in the US policy position, he said.<\/p>\n<h3>Preparing to fight back<\/h3><p>On the streets of the capital Saturday, many residents said they're preparing to fight back against an ECOWAS military intervention.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of people in Niamey lined up outside the main stadium to register as volunteers, fighters and to help with other needs in case the junta requires support. Some parents brought their children to sign up; others said they'd been waiting since 3 a.m., while groups of youths boisterously chanted in favour of the junta and against ECOWAS and the country's former colonial ruler France.<\/p>\n<p>\"I am here for the recruitment to become a good soldier. We are all here for that,\" said Ismail Hassan a resident waiting in line to register. \u201cIf God wills, we will all go.\"<\/p>\n<p>Events organizer Amsarou Bako claimed that the junta was not involved in finding volunteers to defend the coup, although it is aware of the initiative. Hours after the drive started, the organizers said it would be postponed, but didn't explain why.<\/p>\n<p>The humanitarian situation in the country is also on the agenda of the UN's West Africa and Sahel special representative.<\/p>\n<p>Before the coup, nearly 3 million people were facing severe food insecurity and hundreds of thousands were internally displaced, according to CARE, an international aid group. Economic and travel sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup, coupled with the deteriorating security, will have dire consequences for the population, CARE said.<\/p>\n<h3>Partnership against extremism<\/h3><p>Previously, Western countries saw Niger as one of the last democratic nations they could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and poured millions of dollars of military aid and assistance into shoring up Niger\u2019s forces.<\/p>\n<p>Since the coup, former jihadis told The Associated Press that militants have been taking advantage of the freedom of movement caused by suspended military operations by the French and the US and a distracted Nigerien army that is focusing efforts on the capital.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, at least 17 soldiers were killed and 20 injured during an ambush by jihadis. It was the first major attack against Niger\u2019s army in six months. A day later, at least 50 civilians were killed in the Tillaberi region, by extremists believed to be members of the Islamic State group, according to an internal security report for aid groups seen by the AP.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile Niger\u2019s leaders are consumed by politics in the capital, the drumbeat of lethal jihadist attacks goes on in the countryside,\u201d said Corinne Dufka a political analyst who specializes in the Sahel region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe recent attacks should motivate all parties to work for as speedy and inclusive a transition as possible so they can get back to the crucial business of protecting civilians from the devastating consequences of war. In due time, Nigeriens and their partners should look long and hard at why and how democracy in Niger faltered,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692450667,"updatedAt":1692461163,"publishedAt":1692454200,"firstPublishedAt":1692454204,"lastPublishedAt":1692454534,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"The defence chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, pose for a group photo during their meeting in Accra, Ghana, Aug. 17 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"The defence chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, pose for a group photo during their meeting in Accra, Ghana, Aug. 17 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/02\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_fa540d72-14c5-52ba-a7a6-40ec9e4cffb2-7830270.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":670},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Young people gather to register to volunteer to fight for the country as part of a volunteer initiative, in Niamey, Niger, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Young people gather to register to volunteer to fight for the country as part of a volunteer initiative, in Niamey, Niger, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/83\/31\/14\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_80912bb9-713c-58ec-b03a-ccffbabfb9ad-7833114.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"mohamed-bazoum","titleRaw":"Mohamed Bazoum","id":28940,"title":"Mohamed Bazoum","slug":"mohamed-bazoum"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2356646}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"AtG6314hyuY","dailymotionId":"x8ncd5r"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7834374,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/19\/en\/230819_NWSU_52806665_52806696_60000_175937_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11806470,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/19\/en\/230819_NWSU_52806665_52806696_60000_175937_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP ","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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ECOWAS DELEGATION","path":"\/2023\/08\/19\/ecowas-delegation-arrives-in-niger-for-last-ditch-diplomatic-push","lastModified":1692454534},{"id":2346608,"cid":7823906,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230815_NWSU_52763603","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Ecowas military leaders to discuss Niger coup at Ghana summit","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Ecowas military leaders to discuss Niger coup at Ghana summit","titleListing2":"Ecowas military leaders to discuss Niger coup at Ghana summit","leadin":"The meeting comes a week after ECOWAS said a standby force could be used to resolve the crisis in Niger.","summary":"The meeting comes a week after ECOWAS said a standby force could be used to resolve the crisis in Niger.","keySentence":"","url":"ecowas-military-leaders-to-discuss-niger-coup-at-ghana-summit","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/15\/ecowas-military-leaders-to-discuss-niger-coup-at-ghana-summit","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Military leaders from the West African ECOWAS bloc are to meet in Ghana on Thursday to discuss a possible intervention to resolve the coup in Niger.\u00a0 \n\nPresident Mohamed Bazoum has been held under house arrest with his wife and son since the armed junta overthrew him on 26 July. \n\nECOWAS, backed by France and the US, has said the junta\u2019s leaders should restore the democratically elected president to power. \n\nThis meeting, initially scheduled for 12 August, had been postponed and will finally take place on 17 and 18 August in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, according to a regional military source and a source within ECOWAS. \n\nIt will be held a week after the organisation's decision to deploy a \"standby force\" to restore President Mohamed Bazoum. \n\nRussia and Mali \n\nOn Tuesday, during a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Malian counterpart Assimi Go\u00efta, who came to power by a putsch in 2020, stressed \"the importance of resolving the situation\" in Niger, \"only by means peaceful politico-diplomatic\". \n\nMali, a neighbouring country of Niger, very quickly showed its solidarity with the military in power in Niamey. \n\nThe latter also raised their voices on Monday evening in the face of the threat of armed intervention. \n\nThey recalled Niger's ambassador to Abidjan for \"consultation\", after remarks by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara who, according to them, \"apologised for armed action\" against their country. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Military leaders from the West African ECOWAS bloc are to meet in Ghana on Thursday to discuss a possible intervention to resolve the coup in Niger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>President Mohamed Bazoum has been held under house arrest with his wife and son since the armed junta overthrew him on 26 July.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6669921875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//82//39//06//808x539_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg/" alt=\"Gbemiga Olamikan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/384x256_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/640x427_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/750x500_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/828x552_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/1080x720_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/1200x800_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/1920x1281_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">File- Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum smiles before a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron, Feb. 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Gbemiga Olamikan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>ECOWAS, backed by France and the US, has said the junta\u2019s leaders should restore the democratically elected president to power.<\/p>\n<p>This meeting, initially scheduled for 12 August, had been postponed and will finally take place on 17 and 18 August in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, according to a regional military source and a source within ECOWAS.<\/p>\n<p>It will be held a week after the organisation's decision to deploy a \"standby force\" to restore President Mohamed Bazoum.<\/p>\n<h2>Russia and Mali<\/h2><p>On Tuesday, during a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Malian counterpart Assimi Go\u00efta, who came to power by a putsch in 2020, stressed \"the importance of resolving the situation\" in Niger, \"only by means peaceful politico-diplomatic\".<\/p>\n<p>Mali, a neighbouring country of Niger, very quickly showed its solidarity with the military in power in Niamey.<\/p>\n<p>The latter also raised their voices on Monday evening in the face of the threat of armed intervention.<\/p>\n<p>They recalled Niger's ambassador to Abidjan for \"consultation\", after remarks by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara who, according to them, \"apologised for armed action\" against their country.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692098454,"updatedAt":1692540960,"publishedAt":1692107570,"firstPublishedAt":1692107572,"lastPublishedAt":1692540960,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Gbemiga Olamikan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","altText":"Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, centre first row, poses for a group photo with other West African leaders before an ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Aug. 10","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Nigeria's President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, centre first row, poses for a group photo with other West African leaders before an ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, Aug. 10","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/81\/58\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d9565d83-4da8-56f5-bde0-be25dbd9a9a0-7815812.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":586},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Gbemiga Olamikan\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved","altText":"File- Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum smiles before a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron, Feb. 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"File- Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum smiles before a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron, Feb. 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/39\/06\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8ae989bb-62dd-5504-bf77-d78cf5a06fb9-7823906.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in 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AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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UPDATE TUESDAY","path":"\/2023\/08\/15\/ecowas-military-leaders-to-discuss-niger-coup-at-ghana-summit","lastModified":1692540960},{"id":2345846,"cid":7821564,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230814_NWSU_52751878","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger: President Bazoum to be tried for high treason, says coup leaders ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger: President Bazoum to be tried for high treason, says junta","titleListing2":"Niger: President Bazoum to be tried for high treason, says coup leaders ","leadin":"The announcement was made just hours after the junta said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the crisis.","summary":"The announcement was made just hours after the junta said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the crisis.","keySentence":"","url":"niger-president-bazoum-to-be-tried-for-high-treason-says-coup-leaders","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/14\/niger-president-bazoum-to-be-tried-for-high-treason-says-coup-leaders","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Niger's military that toppled Mohamed Bazoum has said it will prosecute the deposed president for treason. \n\nThe announcement was made by a coup spokesperson on national television just hours after the junta said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the regional crisis. \n\n\"The Nigerien government has so far gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices before the competent national and international bodies, for high treason and undermining Niger's internal and external security, following his exchanges with nationals, foreign heads of state and heads of international organisations,\" said\u00a0Col. Major Amadou Abdramane. \n\nThe announcement said high-ranking West African politicians and \u201ctheir international mentors\u201d have made false allegations and attempted to derail a peaceful solution to the crisis in order to justify a military intervention.\u00a0 \n\nIt said Bazoum was being charged following his exchanges with these people. The statement did not identify specific Western countries and did not specify a date for the trial. \n\nNiger's democratically-elected president was ousted by members of his presidential guard on 26\u00a0July.\u00a0He has since been under house arrest in the capital, Niamey. \n\nIf found guilty, Bazoum could face the death penalty, according to Niger\u2019s penal code. \n\nWest Africa's ECOWAS regional bloc has ordered the deployment of a standby force and imposed economic sanctions - which the junta has denounced as \"illegal, inhumane and humiliating.\" \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Niger's military that toppled Mohamed Bazoum has said it will prosecute the deposed president for treason.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement was made by a coup spokesperson on national television just hours after the junta said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the regional crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\"The Nigerien government has so far gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices before the competent national and international bodies, for high treason and undermining Niger's internal and external security, following his exchanges with nationals, foreign heads of state and heads of international organisations,\" said\u00a0Col. Major Amadou Abdramane.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement said high-ranking West African politicians and \u201ctheir international mentors\u201d have made false allegations and attempted to derail a peaceful solution to the crisis in order to justify a military intervention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It said Bazoum was being charged following his exchanges with these people. The statement did not identify specific Western countries and did not specify a date for the trial.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7820280,7815350\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//13//niger-coup-ledar-say-that-the-door-is-open-to-diplomacy/">Niger coup leaders say that the \"door is open\" to diplomacy<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//10//ecowas-orders-deployment-of-force-to-restore-constitutional-order-in-niger/">Ecowas orders deployment of force to restore constitutional order in Niger<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Niger's democratically-elected president was ousted by members of his presidential guard on 26\u00a0July.\u00a0He has since been under house arrest in the capital, Niamey.<\/p>\n<p>If found guilty, Bazoum could face the death penalty, according to Niger\u2019s penal code.<\/p>\n<p>West Africa's ECOWAS regional bloc has ordered the deployment of a standby force and imposed economic sanctions - which the junta has denounced as \"illegal, inhumane and humiliating.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1692008673,"updatedAt":1692024309,"publishedAt":1692023298,"firstPublishedAt":1692023300,"lastPublishedAt":1692023300,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Michel Euler\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum walks past Republican Guards before a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum walks past Republican Guards before a working lunch with French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 at the Elysee Palace ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/15\/64\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9e166bbf-2d52-57da-be4d-bf68120e78fa-7821564.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":900,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/15\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_0c2025a8-57b2-58b2-b311-78dd20c29ffd-7821578.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":504}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"africa","titleRaw":"Africa","id":3,"title":"Africa","slug":"africa"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2342754},{"id":2346608}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"NJOBUGMJkx4","dailymotionId":"x8n76fo"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":77000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":9799899,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/14\/en\/230814_NWSU_52751878_52755797_77000_161044_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":77000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":14339291,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/14\/en\/230814_NWSU_52751878_52755797_77000_161044_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gt_negative','gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_law_misc','gs_law','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gt_negative_mistrust','gv_military','castrol_negative_it','gt_negative_fear'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER MONDAY UPDATE","path":"\/2023\/08\/14\/niger-president-bazoum-to-be-tried-for-high-treason-says-coup-leaders","lastModified":1692023300},{"id":2345366,"cid":7820280,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230813_NWSU_52746566","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger coup leaders say that the \"door is open\" to diplomacy","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger coup leaders say that the \"door is open\" to diplomacy","titleListing2":"After ignoring sanctions and deadlines by the west and ECOWAS, the military junta now says they are willing to find a path to peace.","leadin":"After ignoring sanctions and deadlines by the west and ECOWAS, the military junta now says they are willing to find a path to peace.","summary":"After ignoring sanctions and deadlines by the west and ECOWAS, the military junta now says they are willing to find a path to peace.","keySentence":"","url":"niger-coup-ledar-say-that-the-door-is-open-to-diplomacy","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/13\/niger-coup-ledar-say-that-the-door-is-open-to-diplomacy","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the elected president or face military intervention, coup leaders are now open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff with West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said on Sunday after meeting the junta in Niamey. \n\n\nGeneral Abdourahamane Tiani \"declared that his door was open to explore the path of diplomacy and peace in order to resolve the crisis.\" \n\nMore soon on this story. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>One week after a deadline passed for mutinous soldiers in Niger to reinstate the elected president or face military intervention, coup leaders are now open to diplomacy to resolve a standoff with West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS, a group of senior Nigerian Islamic scholars said on Sunday after meeting the junta in Niamey. <\/p>\n<p>General Abdourahamane Tiani \"declared that his door was open to explore the path of diplomacy and peace in order to resolve the crisis.\"<\/p>\n<p><em>More soon on this story.<\/em><\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691945614,"updatedAt":1691951012,"publishedAt":1691950916,"firstPublishedAt":1691950989,"lastPublishedAt":1691951012,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"-\/AFP or licensors","altText":"Military junta in the streets of Niger.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Military junta in the streets of Niger.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/82\/02\/74\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_86b7ea88-a7ec-5448-87d2-c7c740ea4406-7820274.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":699}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"military","titleRaw":"Military","id":7306,"title":"Military","slug":"military"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2335322},{"id":2346608}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_busfin'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER SUNDAY UPDATE","path":"\/2023\/08\/13\/niger-coup-ledar-say-that-the-door-is-open-to-diplomacy","lastModified":1691951012},{"id":2343522,"cid":7815350,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230810_NWSU_52723797","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Ecowas orders deployment of force to restore constitutional order in Niger","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Ecowas orders 'standby force' to restore constitutional order in Niger","titleListing2":"Ecowas orders deployment of force to restore constitutional order in Niger","leadin":"West Africa leaders have directed the deployment of a \u2018standby force\u2019 to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.","summary":"West Africa leaders have directed the deployment of a \u2018standby force\u2019 to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.","keySentence":"","url":"ecowas-orders-deployment-of-force-to-restore-constitutional-order-in-niger","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/10\/ecowas-orders-deployment-of-force-to-restore-constitutional-order-in-niger","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The Ecowas bloc in West Africa has ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger, even as coup leaders say they'll kill the ousted president if neighbouring countries intervene. \n\nWest African leaders meeting in Nigeria have directed the deployment of a \u2018standby force\u2019 to restore democracy in Niger after the coup. \n\nStandby force \n\nBut two Western officials have told The Associated Press that junta leaders in Niger told an American diplomat that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum would be killed if there was any attempt to intervene militarily. \n\nRepresentatives of the junta told US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country this week, a Western military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. \n\nBazoum, who was deposed on July 26, says he is being held hostage at his residence and the United Nations has expressed concern that he and his family have only limited food and water. \n\nEcowas gave no details about the make-up, location and proposed date of deployment for any military intervention force following its meeting on Thursday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. \n\nClarification \n\nAsked for clarification, the president of the Ecowas commission, Omar Alieu Touray, said he could only reaffirm the decisions by \"the military authorities in the subregion to deploy a standby force of the community.\" \n\nFinancing had been discussed and \"appropriate measures have been taken,\" he said. \n\nHe blamed the junta for any hardship caused by the sanctions imposed on Niger and said further actions by the bloc would be taken jointly, not by any single country. \n\n\"It is not one country against another country. The community has instruments to which all members have subscribed to,\" he said. \n\nAfter the junta defied the deadline of Sunday set by Ecowas to reinstate Bazoum, analysts say the bloc may be running out of options as support fades for intervention. \n\nClosed-door meeting \n\nNine of the 11 heads of state expected to attend were present, including the presidents of Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. The non-Ecowas leaders of Mauritania and Burundi also participated in the closed-door meeting. \n\n\"It is crucial that we prioritise diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach,\" said Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who currently chairs the bloc, said before the closed part of the meeting. \n\nNiger was seen as the last country in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that Western nations could partner with to counter jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced millions of people. The international community is scrambling to find a peaceful solution to the country's leadership crisis. \n\n\"Let me tell you, any coup that has succeeded beyond 24 hours has come to stay. So, as it is, they are speaking from the point of strength and advantage,\" said Oladeinde Ariyo, a security analyst in Nigeria. \"So, negotiating with them will have to be on their terms.\" \n\nGeneral Abdourahmane Tchiani \n\nOn Wednesday, a Nigerian delegation led by the former Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi, met the junta's leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. The former emir was one of few people allowed to meet Tchiani. \n\nWhen Nuland met with the coup leaders earlier this week, she was denied access to both Tchiani and Bazoum. A separate delegation comprised of Ecowas, the United Nations and the African Union was barred from coming at all. \n\nEcowas has failed to stem past coups throughout the region. Niger is the fourth country in the 15-member state bloc to have experienced a coup in the last three years. \n\nThe bloc has imposed harsh economic and travel sanctions. \n\nBut as the junta becomes more entrenched, the options for negotiations are becoming limited, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute. \n\n\"It's very difficult to say what might come out of it, but the fact that the initial deadline passed without intervention and that the (junta) has continued to hold a fairly firm line, indicate that they think they can outlast this pressure,\" he said. \n\nThe main parties' positions are dangerously far apart, according to the International Crisis Group, a think tank, which said that if dialogue is going to succeed, each side is going to have to make concessions, which they've so far refused to do. \n\nTies with France \n\nSince seizing power, the junta has cut ties with France and exploited popular grievances toward its former colonial ruler to shore up its support base. It also has asked for help from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which operates in a handful of African countries and has been accused of committing human rights abuses. \n\nMoscow is using Wagner and other channels of influence to discredit Western nations, asserted Lou Osborn, an investigator with All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group. \n\nTactics include using social media to spread rumours about Wagner's upcoming arrival in Niger and employing fake accounts to mobilise demonstrations and spread false narratives, Osborn said. \"Their objective is not to support the junta or an alternative political approach but to sow discord, create chaos, destabilise,\" she said. \n\nWagner mercenaries \n\nShe pointed to a Telegram post on Wednesday by an alleged Wagner operative, Alexander Ivanov, asserting that France had begun the \"mass removal of children\" likely to be used for slave labour and sexual exploitation. \n\nNeither Russia's government nor Wagner responded to questions. \n\nWhile there's no reason to believe Russia was behind the coup, it will leverage the opportunity to gain a stronger foothold in the region, something Western nations were trying to avoid, Sahel experts say. \n\nFrance and the United States have more than 2,500 military personnel in Niger and along with other European nations have poured hundreds of millions of dollars of military assistance into propping up the country's forces. Much of that aid has now been suspended. \n\nMeanwhile, Niger's approximately 25 million people are feeling the impact of the sanctions. \n\nSome neighbourhoods in the capital, Niamey have little access to electricity and there are frequent power cuts across the city. The country gets up to 90% of its power from Nigeria, which has cut off some of the supply. \n\nSince the coup, Hamidou Albade, 48, said he's been unable to run his shop on the outskirts of Niamey because there's been no electricity. He also works as a taxi driver but lost business there, too, because a lot of his foreign clients have left the city. \n\n\"It's very difficult, I just sit at home doing nothing,\" he said. Still, he supports the junta. \"We're suffering now, but I know the junta will find a solution to get out of the crisis,\" he said. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The Ecowas bloc in West Africa has ordered the deployment of a standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger, even as coup leaders say they'll kill the ousted president if neighbouring countries intervene.<\/p>\n<p>West African leaders meeting in Nigeria have directed the deployment of a \u2018standby force\u2019 to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.<\/p>\n<h2>Standby force<\/h2><p>But two Western officials have told The Associated Press that junta leaders in Niger told an American diplomat that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum would be killed if there was any attempt to intervene militarily.<\/p>\n<p>Representatives of the junta told US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country this week, a Western military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.<\/p>\n<p>Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, says he is being held hostage at his residence and the United Nations has expressed concern that he and his family have only limited food and water.<\/p>\n<p>Ecowas gave no details about the make-up, location and proposed date of deployment for any military intervention force following its meeting on Thursday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.<\/p>\n<h3>Clarification<\/h3><p>Asked for clarification, the president of the Ecowas commission, Omar Alieu Touray, said he could only reaffirm the decisions by \"the military authorities in the subregion to deploy a standby force of the community.\"<\/p>\n<p>Financing had been discussed and \"appropriate measures have been taken,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>He blamed the junta for any hardship caused by the sanctions imposed on Niger and said further actions by the bloc would be taken jointly, not by any single country.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is not one country against another country. The community has instruments to which all members have subscribed to,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>After the junta defied the deadline of Sunday set by Ecowas to reinstate Bazoum, analysts say the bloc may be running out of options as support fades for intervention.<\/p>\n<h2>Closed-door meeting<\/h2><p>Nine of the 11 heads of state expected to attend were present, including the presidents of Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone. The non-Ecowas leaders of Mauritania and Burundi also participated in the closed-door meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is crucial that we prioritise diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach,\" said Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who currently chairs the bloc, said before the closed part of the meeting.<\/p>\n<p>Niger was seen as the last country in the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert that Western nations could partner with to counter jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group that has killed thousands and displaced millions of people. The international community is scrambling to find a peaceful solution to the country's leadership crisis.<\/p>\n<p>\"Let me tell you, any coup that has succeeded beyond 24 hours has come to stay. So, as it is, they are speaking from the point of strength and advantage,\" said Oladeinde Ariyo, a security analyst in Nigeria. \"So, negotiating with them will have to be on their terms.\"<\/p>\n<h2>General Abdourahmane Tchiani<\/h2><p>On Wednesday, a Nigerian delegation led by the former Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi, met the junta's leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani. The former emir was one of few people allowed to meet Tchiani.<\/p>\n<p>When Nuland met with the coup leaders earlier this week, she was denied access to both Tchiani and Bazoum. A separate delegation comprised of Ecowas, the United Nations and the African Union was barred from coming at all.<\/p>\n<p>Ecowas has failed to stem past coups throughout the region. Niger is the fourth country in the 15-member state bloc to have experienced a coup in the last three years.<\/p>\n<p>The bloc has imposed harsh economic and travel sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>But as the junta becomes more entrenched, the options for negotiations are becoming limited, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's very difficult to say what might come out of it, but the fact that the initial deadline passed without intervention and that the (junta) has continued to hold a fairly firm line, indicate that they think they can outlast this pressure,\" he said.<\/p>\n<p>The main parties' positions are dangerously far apart, according to the International Crisis Group, a think tank, which said that if dialogue is going to succeed, each side is going to have to make concessions, which they've so far refused to do.<\/p>\n<h2>Ties with France<\/h2><p>Since seizing power, the junta has cut ties with France and exploited popular grievances toward its former colonial ruler to shore up its support base. It also has asked for help from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which operates in a handful of African countries and has been accused of committing human rights abuses.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow is using Wagner and other channels of influence to discredit Western nations, asserted Lou Osborn, an investigator with All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group.<\/p>\n<p>Tactics include using social media to spread rumours about Wagner's upcoming arrival in Niger and employing fake accounts to mobilise demonstrations and spread false narratives, Osborn said. \"Their objective is not to support the junta or an alternative political approach but to sow discord, create chaos, destabilise,\" she said.<\/p>\n<h2>Wagner mercenaries<\/h2><p>She pointed to a Telegram post on Wednesday by an alleged Wagner operative, Alexander Ivanov, asserting that France had begun the \"mass removal of children\" likely to be used for slave labour and sexual exploitation.<\/p>\n<p>Neither Russia's government nor Wagner responded to questions.<\/p>\n<p>While there's no reason to believe Russia was behind the coup, it will leverage the opportunity to gain a stronger foothold in the region, something Western nations were trying to avoid, Sahel experts say.<\/p>\n<p>France and the United States have more than 2,500 military personnel in Niger and along with other European nations have poured hundreds of millions of dollars of military assistance into propping up the country's forces. Much of that aid has now been suspended.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Niger's approximately 25 million people are feeling the impact of the sanctions.<\/p>\n<p>Some neighbourhoods in the capital, Niamey have little access to electricity and there are frequent power cuts across the city. The country gets up to 90% of its power from Nigeria, which has cut off some of the supply.<\/p>\n<p>Since the coup, Hamidou Albade, 48, said he's been unable to run his shop on the outskirts of Niamey because there's been no electricity. He also works as a taxi driver but lost business there, too, because a lot of his foreign clients have left the city.<\/p>\n<p>\"It's very difficult, I just sit at home doing nothing,\" he said. Still, he supports the junta. \"We're suffering now, but I know the junta will find a solution to get out of the crisis,\" he said.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691686258,"updatedAt":1696924861,"publishedAt":1691686883,"firstPublishedAt":1691686896,"lastPublishedAt":1691730607,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Chinedu Asadu\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"The defence chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"The defence chiefs from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":667}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2343680}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"tzIx-Jvbbok","dailymotionId":"x8n51rd"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":92000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11438348,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/10\/en\/230810_NWSU_52723797_52723836_92000_220939_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":92000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":17149708,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/10\/en\/230810_NWSU_52723797_52723836_92000_220939_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":null,"additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_busfin','gs_science_geography','gv_military','gs_politics','gs_busfin_indus'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"ECOWAS NIGER PRESSER","path":"\/2023\/08\/10\/ecowas-orders-deployment-of-force-to-restore-constitutional-order-in-niger","lastModified":1691730607},{"id":2341640,"cid":7809616,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230808_NWSU_52695704","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"EU says there is still room for mediation in Niger but junta turns away ECOWAS negotiating mission","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Brussels says there is still room for mediation efforts in Niger","titleListing2":"The European Union has suspended all activities with Niger, including financial assistance and civilian and security cooperation.","leadin":"The European Union has suspended all activities with Niger, including financial assistance, and civilian and security cooperation.","summary":"The European Union has suspended all activities with Niger, including financial assistance, and civilian and security cooperation.","keySentence":"","url":"nigers-coup-leaders-announce-a-new-prime-minister","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/08\/nigers-coup-leaders-announce-a-new-prime-minister","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The European Union said there was still room for mediation efforts in Niger, which has been grappling with uncertainty since mutinous soldiers led a coup on 26 July. \n\n\n\"We are not working together with the current illegitimate authorities in Niger,\" said European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano, speaking on Tuesday at a news conference in Brussels. \n\nRegional tensions have mounted since the coup nearly two weeks ago when mutinous soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum and installed former presidential guard head Abdourahamane Tchiani as head of state. \n\n\"There will be no positive consequences if this military coup is allowed to proceed,\" Stano warned. \n\n\"We still believe that there is a space, there is a room for mediation efforts. So we will not go beyond and speculate,\" Stano added. \n\nNigeriens are facing deepening uncertainty about whether a regional bloc will follow through on its threat to use military force to try to reinstall the ousted president or if last-minute diplomacy will prevail.\u00a0 \n\nNew Prime Minister \n\nAn economist and former government minister has been selected to be the new prime minister by coup leaders in Niamey. \n\nNiger's military coup leaders announced the appointment of Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as prime minister on Monday evening in a statement read out on national television, at a time when the international community is seeking to restore constitutional order. \n\n\"Mr (Ali Mahaman) Lamine Zeine has been appointed Prime Minister\", Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane reported. \n\n\"Lieutenant-Colonel Habibou Assoumane\" has also been \"appointed Commander of the Presidential Guard\", added Mr Abdramane. \n\nECOWAS ultimatum \n\nThese appointments come a day after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the ruling military an ultimatum to restore President Mohamed Bazoum to office. The organisation did not rule out the use of force if this demand was not met. \n\nNiger's Western and African partners are divided on the question of military intervention to return power to civilians, before ECOWAS meets again on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria. \n\nOn Tuesday AFP reported it had seen a letter from the coup\u2019s leaders to ECOWAS, postponing the visit of a delegation to Niamey on security grounds. \n\nPresident Bazoum \n\nPresident Bazoum has remained sequestered in his private residence since the day of the coup. \n\nAli Mahaman Lamine Zeine, an economist by training, has held ministerial positions in previous governments in Niger and was also a resident representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Chad, C\u00f4te d'Ivoire and Gabon. \n\nBorn in 1965 in Zinder South, Niger's second most populous town, he joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1991 after studying at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in Niamey. He is also a graduate of the Centre d'Etudes Financi\u00e8res, Economiques et Bancaires in Marseille and Paris. \n\n","htmlText":"<h2>The European Union said there was still room for mediation efforts in Niger, which has been grappling with uncertainty since mutinous soldiers led a coup on 26 July.<\/h2><p>\"We are not working together with the current illegitimate authorities in Niger,\" said European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano, speaking on Tuesday at a news conference in Brussels.<\/p>\n<p>Regional tensions have mounted since the coup nearly two weeks ago when mutinous soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum and installed former presidential guard head Abdourahamane Tchiani as head of state.<\/p>\n<p>\"There will be no positive consequences if this military coup is allowed to proceed,\" Stano warned.<\/p>\n<p>\"We still believe that there is a space, there is a room for mediation efforts. So we will not go beyond and speculate,\" Stano added.<\/p>\n<p>Nigeriens are facing deepening uncertainty about whether a regional bloc will follow through on its threat to use military force to try to reinstall the ousted president or if last-minute diplomacy will prevail.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>New Prime Minister<\/strong><\/h2><p>An economist and former government minister has been selected to be the new prime minister by coup leaders in Niamey.<\/p>\n<p>Niger's military coup leaders announced the appointment of Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as prime minister on Monday evening in a statement read out on national television, at a time when the international community is seeking to restore constitutional order.<\/p>\n<p>\"Mr (Ali Mahaman) Lamine Zeine has been appointed Prime Minister\", Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane reported.<\/p>\n<p>\"Lieutenant-Colonel Habibou Assoumane\" has also been \"appointed Commander of the Presidential Guard\", added Mr Abdramane.<\/p>\n<h2>ECOWAS ultimatum<\/h2><p>These appointments come a day after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the ruling military an ultimatum to restore President Mohamed Bazoum to office. The organisation did not rule out the use of force if this demand was not met.<\/p>\n<p>Niger's Western and African partners are divided on the question of military intervention to return power to civilians, before ECOWAS meets again on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday AFP reported it had seen a letter from the coup\u2019s leaders to ECOWAS, postponing the visit of a delegation to Niamey on security grounds.<\/p>\n<h2>President Bazoum<\/h2><p>President Bazoum has remained sequestered in his private residence since the day of the coup.<\/p>\n<p>Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, an economist by training, has held ministerial positions in previous governments in Niger and was also a resident representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Chad, C\u00f4te d'Ivoire and Gabon.<\/p>\n<p>Born in 1965 in Zinder South, Niger's second most populous town, he joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1991 after studying at the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) in Niamey. He is also a graduate of the Centre d'Etudes Financi\u00e8res, Economiques et Bancaires in Marseille and Paris.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691497426,"updatedAt":1691516344,"publishedAt":1691499646,"firstPublishedAt":1691499650,"lastPublishedAt":1691515942,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Joel Ryan\/AP2011","altText":"File: Niger\u2019s minister of Economy and Finance, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, (left) briefs reporters at IMF Headquarters, Washington DC. October 12, 2008","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"File: Niger\u2019s minister of Economy and Finance, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, (left) briefs reporters at IMF Headquarters, Washington DC. October 12, 2008","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/96\/16\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_ebaa1da0-e9f3-5997-bc70-093acf57454e-7809616.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":746}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"africa","titleRaw":"Africa","id":3,"title":"Africa","slug":"africa"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2341072},{"id":2340188},{"id":2424098}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"8h3UYPT9Kf8","dailymotionId":"x8n3enw"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":62000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":8093879,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/08\/en\/230808_NWSU_52695704_52699589_62000_190742_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":62000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":12092087,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/08\/en\/230808_NWSU_52695704_52699589_62000_190742_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP, AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','african_related_content_fr','gs_busfin'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER TUESDAY UPDATE","path":"\/2023\/08\/08\/nigers-coup-leaders-announce-a-new-prime-minister","lastModified":1691515942},{"id":2341072,"cid":7808060,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230807_NWSU_52688496","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"'Window of opportunity open' to resolve Niger coup diplomatically, says US, as tension mounts ","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"ECOWAS to meet Thursday after Niger junta defies key deadline ","titleListing2":"ECOWAS to meet Thursday after Niger\u2019s junta defies key deadline and shuts airspace","leadin":"Mali said it and Burkina Faso, both neighbours of Niger run by military juntas, were sending delegations to Niger to show support. Both countries have said they would consider any intervention in Niger as a declaration of war against them.","summary":"Mali said it and Burkina Faso, both neighbours of Niger run by military juntas, were sending delegations to Niger to show support. Both countries have said they would consider any intervention in Niger as a declaration of war against them.","keySentence":"","url":"ecowas-to-meet-thursday-after-nigers-junta-defies-key-deadline-and-shuts-airspace","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/07\/ecowas-to-meet-thursday-after-nigers-junta-defies-key-deadline-and-shuts-airspace","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Leaders of West Africa's regional bloc said Monday that they would meet later this week to discuss next steps after Niger's military junta defied a deadline to reinstate the country's ousted president while its mutinous soldiers closed the country\u2019s airspace and accused foreign powers of preparing an attack. \n\nThe meeting was scheduled for Thursday in Abuja, the capital of neighbouring Nigeria, according to a spokesman for the ECOWAS bloc. \n\nIn Niger, state television reported the junta's latest actions Sunday night, hours before the deadline set by ECOWAS, which has warned of using military force if the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum is not returned to power. \n\n\nA spokesman for the coup leaders, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, noted \u201cthe threat of intervention being prepared in a neighbouring country,\u201d and said Niger's airspace will be closed until further notice. Any attempt to fly over the country will be met with \u201can energetic and immediate response.\u201d \n\nThe junta also claimed that two central African countries were preparing for an invasion, but did not name them. It called on Niger's population to defend the nation. \n\nThe United States said on Monday that it is still possible to put an end to the coup through diplomacy. \n\n\"It is still possible. We believe that the junta should withdraw and allow President (Mohamed) Bazoum to resume his duties\", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. \n\nThe use of force is a solution of \"last resort\" for ECOWAS, said Matthew Miller, adding that the United States was \"focused on finding a diplomatic solution. \n\nThe coup toppled Bazoum, whose ascendency was Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The coup also raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa\u2019s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. \n\n\nInternational airlines have begun to divert flights around Niger, which the United States and others had seen as the last major counterterrorism partner in the Sahel, south of the Sahara Desert, where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are expanding their influence. \n\nRegion divided\u00a0 \n\nAlso Monday, Mali said it and Burkina Faso, both neighbours of Niger run by military juntas, were sending delegations to Niger to show support. Both countries have said they would consider any intervention in Niger as a declaration of war against them. \n\nThe Associated Press saw several security officers from Burkina Faso at a hotel in Niger\u2019s capital. \n\nRegional tensions have mounted since Niger's coup nearly two weeks ago, when mutinous soldiers detained Bazoum and installed Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, former head of the presidential guard, as head of state. Analysts believe the coup was triggered by a power struggle between Tchiani and the president, who was about to fire him. \n\nIt was not immediately clear what ECOWAS leaders will do now. The region is divided on a course of action. There was no sign of military forces gathering at Niger's border with Nigeria, the likely entry point by land. \n\nNigeria\u2019s Senate has pushed back on the plan to invade, urging Nigeria\u2019s president, the bloc\u2019s current chair, to explore options other than the use of force. ECOWAS can still move ahead, as final decisions are made by consensus by member states. \n\nGuinea and neighbouring Algeria, which is not an ECOWAS member, have come out against the use of force. Senegal\u2019s government has said it would participate in a military operation if it went ahead, and Ivory Coast has expressed support for the bloc's efforts to restore constitutional order. \n\nThe junta does not appear interested in negotiation. An ECOWAS delegation sent to Niger last week for hours of talks was not allowed to leave the airport and met only with Tchiani's representatives. \n\nThe junta has also asked for help from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which operates in a handful of African countries, including Mali, according to Wassim Nasr, a journalist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center. \n\nUS officials say they are still able to communicate with Bazoum and that their most recent contact was Monday. \n\nTwo officials said the administration of US President Joe Biden intends to maintain both a diplomatic and military presence in Niger for the foreseeable future. \n\n\nThe administration is still weighing whether the developments amount to a coup, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions. They said there was still time for Niger\u2019s military leaders to reverse course. \n\nIf the US determines that a democratically elected government has been toppled by unconstitutional means, federal law requires a cutoff of most American assistance, particularly military aid. \n\nPro-junta rallies in Niamey \n\nSince the coup, extremists have been ecstatic because they are able to move around more freely without fear of attack, Boubacar Moussa, a former jihadi fighter, told the AP. He had joined a nationwide program that encourages fighters to defect and reintegrate into society. The program's fate is unclear. \n\nMoussa said he\u2019s received at least 10 phone calls from active jihadis in the Tillaberi region near the Mali border who said there\u2019s been no concern about airstrikes. If there\u2019s a military intervention by ECOWAS, they likely will attack the capital, Niamey, he said. \n\nAt a rally on Sunday, thousands cheered junta leaders who said their loyalty would be repaid. \n\n\u201cWe are with you against them. We will give you the Niger that you are owed,\u201d Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba said. After his speech, rallygoers beheaded a chicken decorated in the colours of former colonizer France. \n\nThe junta is exploiting anti-French sentiments to shore up its support base and has severed security ties with France, which still has 1,500 military personnel in Niger for counterterrorism efforts. \n\nOn Monday, France\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally discouraged any travel to Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali, and called on French nationals to be extremely vigilant. France has suspended almost 500 million euros ($550 million) in aid to Burkina Faso. \n\nIt's not clear what will happen to the French military presence, or to the 1,100 US military personnel also in Niger. \n\nMany people, largely youth, have rallied around the junta, taking to the streets at night to patrol after being urged to guard against foreign intervention. \n\n\u201cWhile they (jihadists) kill our brothers and sisters ... ECOWAS didn\u2019t intervene. Is it now that they will intervene?\u201d said Amadou Boukari, a coup supporter at Sunday's rally. \u201cShame on ECOWAS.\u201d \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Leaders of West Africa's regional bloc said Monday that they would meet later this week to discuss next steps after Niger's military junta defied a deadline to reinstate the country's ousted president while its mutinous soldiers closed the country\u2019s airspace and accused foreign powers of preparing an attack.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting was scheduled for Thursday in Abuja, the capital of neighbouring Nigeria, according to a spokesman for the ECOWAS bloc.<\/p>\n<p>In Niger, state television reported the junta's latest actions Sunday night, hours before the deadline set by ECOWAS, which has warned of using military force if the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum is not returned to power. <\/p>\n<p>A spokesman for the coup leaders, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, noted \u201cthe threat of intervention being prepared in a neighbouring country,\u201d and said Niger's airspace will be closed until further notice. Any attempt to fly over the country will be met with \u201can energetic and immediate response.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The junta also claimed that two central African countries were preparing for an invasion, but did not name them. It called on Niger's population to defend the nation.<\/p>\n<p>The United States said on Monday that it is still possible to put an end to the coup through diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p>\"It is still possible. We believe that the junta should withdraw and allow President (Mohamed) Bazoum to resume his duties\", State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>The use of force is a solution of \"last resort\" for ECOWAS, said Matthew Miller, adding that the United States was \"focused on finding a diplomatic solution.<\/p>\n<p>The coup toppled Bazoum, whose ascendency was Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The coup also raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa\u2019s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. <\/p>\n<p>International airlines have begun to divert flights around Niger, which the United States and others had seen as the last major counterterrorism partner in the Sahel, south of the Sahara Desert, where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are expanding their influence.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.6513671875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//80//60//808x525_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg/" alt=\"Chinedu Asadu\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/384x250_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/640x417_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/750x489_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/828x539_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1080x703_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1200x782_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1920x1251_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The defense chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, during their extraordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Aug. 4, 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Chinedu Asadu\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3>Region divided<\/h3><p>Also Monday, Mali said it and Burkina Faso, both neighbours of Niger run by military juntas, were sending delegations to Niger to show support. Both countries have said they would consider any intervention in Niger as a declaration of war against them.<\/p>\n<p>The Associated Press saw several security officers from Burkina Faso at a hotel in Niger\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n<p>Regional tensions have mounted since Niger's coup nearly two weeks ago, when mutinous soldiers detained Bazoum and installed Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, former head of the presidential guard, as head of state. Analysts believe the coup was triggered by a power struggle between Tchiani and the president, who was about to fire him.<\/p>\n<p>It was not immediately clear what ECOWAS leaders will do now. The region is divided on a course of action. There was no sign of military forces gathering at Niger's border with Nigeria, the likely entry point by land.<\/p>\n<p>Nigeria\u2019s Senate has pushed back on the plan to invade, urging Nigeria\u2019s president, the bloc\u2019s current chair, to explore options other than the use of force. ECOWAS can still move ahead, as final decisions are made by consensus by member states.<\/p>\n<p>Guinea and neighbouring Algeria, which is not an ECOWAS member, have come out against the use of force. Senegal\u2019s government has said it would participate in a military operation if it went ahead, and Ivory Coast has expressed support for the bloc's efforts to restore constitutional order.<\/p>\n<p>The junta does not appear interested in negotiation. An ECOWAS delegation sent to Niger last week for hours of talks was not allowed to leave the airport and met only with Tchiani's representatives.<\/p>\n<p>The junta has also asked for help from the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which operates in a handful of African countries, including Mali, according to Wassim Nasr, a journalist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center.<\/p>\n<p>US officials say they are still able to communicate with Bazoum and that their most recent contact was Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Two officials said the administration of US President Joe Biden intends to maintain both a diplomatic and military presence in Niger for the foreseeable future. <\/p>\n<p>The administration is still weighing whether the developments amount to a coup, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic discussions. They said there was still time for Niger\u2019s military leaders to reverse course.<\/p>\n<p>If the US determines that a democratically elected government has been toppled by unconstitutional means, federal law requires a cutoff of most American assistance, particularly military aid.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1687606843193913345\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3>Pro-junta rallies in Niamey<\/h3><p>Since the coup, extremists have been ecstatic because they are able to move around more freely without fear of attack, Boubacar Moussa, a former jihadi fighter, told the AP. He had joined a nationwide program that encourages fighters to defect and reintegrate into society. The program's fate is unclear.<\/p>\n<p>Moussa said he\u2019s received at least 10 phone calls from active jihadis in the Tillaberi region near the Mali border who said there\u2019s been no concern about airstrikes. If there\u2019s a military intervention by ECOWAS, they likely will attack the capital, Niamey, he said.<\/p>\n<p>At a rally on Sunday, thousands cheered junta leaders who said their loyalty would be repaid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are with you against them. We will give you the Niger that you are owed,\u201d Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba said. After his speech, rallygoers beheaded a chicken decorated in the colours of former colonizer France.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7021484375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//80//60//808x569_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg/" alt=\"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/384x270_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/640x449_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/750x527_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/828x581_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1080x758_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1200x843_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/1920x1348_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Supporters of Niger's ruling junta hold a Russian flag in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The junta is exploiting anti-French sentiments to shore up its support base and has severed security ties with France, which still has 1,500 military personnel in Niger for counterterrorism efforts.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, France\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally discouraged any travel to Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali, and called on French nationals to be extremely vigilant. France has suspended almost 500 million euros ($550 million) in aid to Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n<p>It's not clear what will happen to the French military presence, or to the 1,100 US military personnel also in Niger.<\/p>\n<p>Many people, largely youth, have rallied around the junta, taking to the streets at night to patrol after being urged to guard against foreign intervention.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile they (jihadists) kill our brothers and sisters ... ECOWAS didn\u2019t intervene. Is it now that they will intervene?\u201d said Amadou Boukari, a coup supporter at Sunday's rally. \u201cShame on ECOWAS.\u201d<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691434121,"updatedAt":1691874609,"publishedAt":1691438758,"firstPublishedAt":1691438761,"lastPublishedAt":1691874609,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"-\/AFP or licensors","altText":"ECOWAS leaders say they will meet on Thursday to discuss next steps in Niger crisis. ","callToActionText":null,"width":3266,"caption":"ECOWAS leaders say they will meet on Thursday to discuss next steps in Niger crisis. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/70\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e7ad61ee-215b-5140-a24a-f4857fc4f5ba-7808070.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2177},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta hold a Russian flag in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta hold a Russian flag in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cf39a30a-836c-59ea-907b-3bd9dd984616-7808060.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":719},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Chinedu Asadu\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"The defense chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, during their extraordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Aug. 4, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"The defense chiefs from ECOWAS countries excluding Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Niger, during their extraordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Aug. 4, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/80\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_d99bd84a-9761-5788-b058-7f83389966bf-7808060.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":667}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"military-junta","titleRaw":"military junta","id":27254,"title":"military junta","slug":"military-junta"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"twitter"}],"related":[{"id":2341640}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"0eZ3gOa-YJc","dailymotionId":"x8n2ndf"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":79280,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":10488321,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/07\/en\/230807_NWSU_52688496_52689176_79280_230517_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":79280,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":15843329,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/07\/en\/230807_NWSU_52688496_52689176_79280_230517_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"Agencies ","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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UPDATE","path":"\/2023\/08\/07\/ecowas-to-meet-thursday-after-nigers-junta-defies-key-deadline-and-shuts-airspace","lastModified":1691874609},{"id":2340188,"cid":7805552,"versionId":6,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230807_NWSU_52678224","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger airspace closed as coup supporters defy critical deadline","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"","titleListing2":"","leadin":"Supporters of Niger's military junta have gathered in the capital to show defiance of an ultimatum to restore democracy.","summary":"Supporters of Niger's military junta have gathered in the capital to show defiance of an ultimatum to restore democracy.","keySentence":"","url":"coup-supporters-in-niger-defy-ecowas-deadline","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/07\/coup-supporters-in-niger-defy-ecowas-deadline","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Thousands of people, showing support for coup leaders in Niger, gathered in Niamey in defiance of an ultimatum by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore the elected president.\u00a0 \n\nCoup leaders appeared at a stadium rally where a chicken, decorated in the colours of former coloniser France, was beheaded. \n\nA deadline by the regional bloc passed at midnight on Sunday night and with the threat of military action if the demands were not met, Niger closed its national airspace. But it is not immediately clear what ECOWAS will do next.\u00a0 \n\nCoup supporters at the rally expressed defiance against both the ECOWAS threat and France's long presence in the region. Some waved Russian flags. \n\nNiger's presidential guard ousted and held democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in the coup on 26 July. \n\nECOWAS immediately imposed sanctions on Niger and gave Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the coup leader, one week to restore Bazoum to power or face the potential use of force. \n\nTchiani has vowed to respond \"immediately\" to any foreign intervention.\u00a0 \n\nThe coup is a major blow to the United States and allies who saw Niger as the last major counterterrorism partner in the Sahel. \n\nAmid threats by ECOWAS, Tchiani has reached out to the Russian Wagner mercenary group for support. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Thousands of people, showing support for coup leaders in Niger, gathered in Niamey in defiance of an ultimatum by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore the elected president.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Coup leaders appeared at a stadium rally where a chicken, decorated in the colours of former coloniser France, was beheaded.<\/p>\n<p>A deadline by the regional bloc passed at midnight on Sunday night and with the threat of military action if the demands were not met, Niger closed its national airspace. But it is not immediately clear what ECOWAS will do next.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Coup supporters at the rally expressed defiance against both the ECOWAS threat and France's long presence in the region. Some waved Russian flags.<\/p>\n<p>Niger's presidential guard ousted and held democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in the coup on 26 July.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS immediately imposed sanctions on Niger and gave Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the coup leader, one week to restore Bazoum to power or face the potential use of force.<\/p>\n<p>Tchiani has vowed to respond \"immediately\" to any foreign intervention.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The coup is a major blow to the United States and allies who saw Niger as the last major counterterrorism partner in the Sahel.<\/p>\n<p>Amid threats by ECOWAS, Tchiani has reached out to the Russian Wagner mercenary group for support.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691369922,"updatedAt":1696924861,"publishedAt":1691387721,"firstPublishedAt":1691387725,"lastPublishedAt":1691388431,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Coup supporters rally in Niamey ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Coup supporters rally in Niamey ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/55\/60\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_8def1272-c907-5841-844f-fefb8d451676-7805560.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"churm","twitter":"@TheChurm","title":"Philip Andrew Churm"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"africa","titleRaw":"Africa","id":3,"title":"Africa","slug":"africa"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2339080},{"id":2341640}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"XcfSolq9nj4","dailymotionId":"x8n1y5q"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":45000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":5804291,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/07\/en\/230807_NWSU_52678224_52678250_45000_065553_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":45000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":8772867,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/07\/en\/230807_NWSU_52678224_52678250_45000_065553_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','gs_science','gv_military','gs_science_geography'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER ULTIMATUM EXPIRED","path":"\/2023\/08\/07\/coup-supporters-in-niger-defy-ecowas-deadline","lastModified":1691388431},{"id":2340036,"cid":7805120,"versionId":2,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230806_NWSU_52676570","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Heightened tension in Niger as a deadline for coup leaders to restore democracy expires","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Tension in Niger as deadline to restore democracy expires","titleListing2":"Heightened tension in Niger as a deadline for coup leaders to restore democracy expires","leadin":"Niger's new military leaders have said they will not cave in to external pressure to stand down.","summary":"Niger's new military leaders have said they will not cave in to external pressure to stand down.","keySentence":"","url":"heightened-tension-in-niger-as-a-deadline-for-coup-leaders-to-restore-democracy-expires","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/06\/heightened-tension-in-niger-as-a-deadline-for-coup-leaders-to-restore-democracy-expires","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Niger\u2019s coup leaders are facing a Sunday deadline set by the regional bloc ECOWAS to release and reinstate the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was set to expire. \n\nIf the junta, which grabbed power on 26 July, does not comply, it may face a foreign military intervention. \n\nIts leaders claim they ousted the president to help them better fight jihadist insurgents and stop corruption. \n\nMany seem willing to believe this explanation and are angry at the threat of force being wielded by neighbouring countries. \n\nOn Sunday, some 30,000 supporters of the coup gathered at a stadium in the capital, Niamey, for a rally attended by junta leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani. \n\nThe new military leaders say they will not cave in to external pressure to stand down and have reportedly asked Russian mercenary group, Wagner to assist. \n\nTwo neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina-Faso, who have both been subject to recent coups, strongly opposed ECOWAS moves and have promised military support for Niger in case of foreign intervention. \n\nBut while some citizens are cheering the coup leaders, others fear what might happen next. In Niamey, people say they hope that talks will take place to avoid any further conflict. \n\nEconomic sanctions imposed by several countries since the coup are making life tougher for citizens, with the price of basic staples such as rice and vegetables increasingly sharply. \n\n\u201cWe want peace, no aggression by foreign countries against another country. Just to be able to afford to eat is a problem for us. So, if there is a war that won\u2019t fix anything, says Niamey resident, Mohamed Noali. \n\nECOWAS, which agreed to the military action last week, has not said what its next steps would be, or exactly what time the deadline expires on Sunday. \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>Niger\u2019s coup leaders are facing a Sunday deadline set by the regional bloc ECOWAS to release and reinstate the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum was set to expire.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If the junta, which grabbed power on 26 July, does not comply, it may face a foreign military intervention.<\/p>\n<p>Its leaders claim they ousted the president to help them better fight jihadist insurgents and stop corruption.<\/p>\n<p>Many seem willing to believe this explanation and are angry at the threat of force being wielded by neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, some 30,000 supporters of the coup gathered at a stadium in the capital, Niamey, for a rally attended by junta leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani.<\/p>\n<p>The new military leaders say they will not cave in to external pressure to stand down and have reportedly asked Russian mercenary group, Wagner to assist.<\/p>\n<p>Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina-Faso, who have both been subject to recent coups, strongly opposed ECOWAS moves and have promised military support for Niger in case of foreign intervention.<\/p>\n<p>But while some citizens are cheering the coup leaders, others fear what might happen next. In Niamey, people say they hope that talks will take place to avoid any further conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Economic sanctions imposed by several countries since the coup are making life tougher for citizens, with the price of basic staples such as rice and vegetables increasingly sharply.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want peace, no aggression by foreign countries against another country. Just to be able to afford to eat is a problem for us. So, if there is a war that won\u2019t fix anything, says Niamey resident, Mohamed Noali.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS, which agreed to the military action last week, has not said what its next steps would be, or exactly what time the deadline expires on Sunday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691341500,"updatedAt":1691350258,"publishedAt":1691349405,"firstPublishedAt":1691349408,"lastPublishedAt":1691350258,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"SOULEYMANE AG ANARA\/AFP or licensors","altText":"Rally in Niamey in support of the coup","callToActionText":null,"width":3400,"caption":"Rally in Niamey in support of the coup","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/51\/18\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_fede3928-440c-5597-b8f0-2e3f318c44c9-7805118.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2267}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"african-politics","titleRaw":"African politics","id":10523,"title":"African politics","slug":"african-politics"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2338150},{"id":2424384}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Q_Wh3DdSV1Q","dailymotionId":"x8n1qsp"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7654645,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/06\/en\/230806_NWSU_52676570_52676631_60000_204956_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11626229,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/06\/en\/230806_NWSU_52676570_52676631_60000_204956_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"agencies","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":{"id":3706,"urlSafeValue":"niamey","title":"Niamey"},"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gb_safe','gs_science','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gs_tech','gs_science_geography'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER DEADLINE ARRIVES","path":"\/2023\/08\/06\/heightened-tension-in-niger-as-a-deadline-for-coup-leaders-to-restore-democracy-expires","lastModified":1691350258},{"id":2339558,"cid":7803820,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230806_NWSU_52671403","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Deadline for coup leaders in Niger to restore civilian government expires on Sunday","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger deadline expires Sunday risking military intervention","titleListing2":"A deadline for coup leaders in Niger to restore civilian government expires on Sunday","leadin":"A deadline to restore civilian government after the recent military coup in Niger expires on Sunday but the bloc of West African nations known as ECOWAS says it still prefers a diplomatic solution.","summary":"A deadline to restore civilian government after the recent military coup in Niger expires on Sunday but the bloc of West African nations known as ECOWAS says it still prefers a diplomatic solution.","keySentence":"","url":"deadline-for-coup-leaders-in-niger-to-restore-civilian-government-expires-on-sunday","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/06\/deadline-for-coup-leaders-in-niger-to-restore-civilian-government-expires-on-sunday","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The ultimatum was presented by the West African bloc ECOWAS a week ago after the military toppled elected president Mohamed Bazoum. Failure to reinstate him opens up the possibility of using force. \n\n\"We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message clearly transmitted to the leaders of the Junta in Niger that we are giving them every opportunity to reverse what they have done,\" explained\u00a0Abdel-Fatau Musah, the bloc's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security. \n\nBut that hasn't happened and there is no sign it will. \n\nThe coup leaders have severed military cooperation with former colonial rulers France, which has 1,500 troops based in Niger.\u00a0 \n\nECOWAS says it has a plan in place for military intervention but it will not elaborate on the details. \n\nTwo neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina-Faso, who have both been subject to recent coups, strongly opposed ECOWAS moves and have promised military support for Niger in case of foreign intervention. \n\nThere are also reports in Western media that the coup leaders in Niger have requested support from the Russian mercenary group Wagner. \n\nNiger has been seen as the West\u2019s last reliable counterterrorism partner in a region where coups have been common in recent years. Juntas have rejected former coloniser France and turned toward Russia.\u00a0 \n\nWagner operates in a handful of African countries, including Mali, where human rights groups have accused its forces of deadly abuses. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The ultimatum was presented by the West African bloc ECOWAS a week ago after the military toppled elected president Mohamed Bazoum. Failure to reinstate him opens up the possibility of using force.<\/p>\n<p>\"We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message clearly transmitted to the leaders of the Junta in Niger that we are giving them every opportunity to reverse what they have done,\" explained\u00a0Abdel-Fatau Musah, the bloc's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.<\/p>\n<p>But that hasn't happened and there is no sign it will.<\/p>\n<p>The coup leaders have severed military cooperation with former colonial rulers France, which has 1,500 troops based in Niger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS says it has a plan in place for military intervention but it will not elaborate on the details.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7803408,7802726,7790456\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//05//nigers-coup-leaders-ask-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-for-help/">Niger's coup leaders ask Russian mercenary group, Wagner, for help<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//05//ecowas-leaders-agree-plan-for-military-action-after-niger-coup-as-deadline-approaches/">ECOWAS leaders agree plan for military action after Niger coup as deadline approaches<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//what-could-the-military-coup-in-niger-mean-for-europe-and-the-west/">Niger crisis deepens as European nations evacuate, coup secures support from other juntas<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina-Faso, who have both been subject to recent coups, strongly opposed ECOWAS moves and have promised military support for Niger in case of foreign intervention.<\/p>\n<p>There are also reports in Western media that the coup leaders in Niger have requested support from the Russian mercenary group Wagner.<\/p>\n<p>Niger has been seen as the West\u2019s last reliable counterterrorism partner in a region where coups have been common in recent years. Juntas have rejected former coloniser France and turned toward Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Wagner operates in a handful of African countries, including Mali, where human rights groups have accused its forces of deadly abuses.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691270389,"updatedAt":1691323222,"publishedAt":1691307586,"firstPublishedAt":1691307592,"lastPublishedAt":1691323222,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather in Niamey, Niger.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather in Niamey, Niger.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4af8d887-42a1-54c9-be69-3266d5a84704-7800478.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"armstrong","twitter":null,"title":"Mark Armstrong"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":[],"video":0,"videos":[],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":{"id":3706,"urlSafeValue":"niamey","title":"Niamey"},"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_busfin','gv_military','gs_politics','gs_busfin_indus'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER ULTIMATUM EXPIRES","path":"\/2023\/08\/06\/deadline-for-coup-leaders-in-niger-to-restore-civilian-government-expires-on-sunday","lastModified":1691323222},{"id":2339390,"cid":7803408,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230805_NWSU_52669179","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger's coup leaders ask Russian mercenary group, Wagner, for help","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger's coup leaders ask Russian mercenary group, Wagner, for help","titleListing2":"Niger's coup leaders ask Russian mercenary group, Wagner, for help","leadin":"Niger's military leaders have reportedly asked Russian mercenary group for help against a potential ECOWAS intervention.","summary":"Niger's military leaders have reportedly asked Russian mercenary group for help against a potential ECOWAS intervention.","keySentence":"","url":"nigers-coup-leaders-ask-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-for-help","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/05\/nigers-coup-leaders-ask-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-for-help","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Niger\u2019s new military junta has reportedly asked Russian mercenary group Wagner for help as the deadline approaches for it to release the country\u2019s ousted president or face possible military intervention by the West African regional bloc. \n\nA journalist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Centre, Wassim Nasr, told the Associated Press that the request was made during a visit by coup leader, General Salifou Mody, to neighboring Mali. \n\nNasr said three Malian sources and a French diplomat confirmed the meeting, which was first reported by French television station, France 24. \n\n\u201cThey need (Wagner) because they will become their guarantee to hold onto power,\u201d he said, adding that the group is believed to be considering the request. \n\nA Western military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment, told the AP they have also heard reports that the junta asked Wagner for help. \n\nNiger\u2019s junta faces a Sunday deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to release and reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. \n\nDefence chiefs from the regional group on Friday finalised an intervention plan and urged militaries to prepare resources. This after a mediation team sent to Niger on Thursday was not allowed to enter or meet with military government leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani. \n\nFrance\u2019s foreign affairs minister, Catherine Colonna, on Saturday said the threat of an intervention by ECOWAS was credible. \n\n\u201cThere's still a little time left for the putschists to give back power and listen to the unanimous demands of countries in the region and the international community,\u201d she said. \n\nNiger has been seen as the West\u2019s last reliable counterterrorism partner in a region where coups have been common in recent years.\u00a0 \n\n","htmlText":"<p><strong>Niger\u2019s new military junta has reportedly asked Russian mercenary group Wagner for help as the deadline approaches for it to release the country\u2019s ousted president or face possible military intervention by the West African regional bloc.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A journalist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Centre, Wassim Nasr, told the Associated Press that the request was made during a visit by coup leader, General Salifou Mody, to neighboring Mali.<\/p>\n<p>Nasr said three Malian sources and a French diplomat confirmed the meeting, which was first reported by French television station, France 24.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey need (Wagner) because they will become their guarantee to hold onto power,\u201d he said, adding that the group is believed to be considering the request.<\/p>\n<p>A Western military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment, told the AP they have also heard reports that the junta asked Wagner for help.<\/p>\n<p>Niger\u2019s junta faces a Sunday deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to release and reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.<\/p>\n<p>Defence chiefs from the regional group on Friday finalised an intervention plan and urged militaries to prepare resources. This after a mediation team sent to Niger on Thursday was not allowed to enter or meet with military government leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani.<\/p>\n<p>France\u2019s foreign affairs minister, Catherine Colonna, on Saturday said the threat of an intervention by ECOWAS was credible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere's still a little time left for the putschists to give back power and listen to the unanimous demands of countries in the region and the international community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Niger has been seen as the West\u2019s last reliable counterterrorism partner in a region where coups have been common in recent years.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691242485,"updatedAt":1691255884,"publishedAt":1691255512,"firstPublishedAt":1691255515,"lastPublishedAt":1691255515,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters hold a Russian flag during a demonstration on independence day in Niger","callToActionText":null,"width":5568,"caption":"Protesters hold a Russian flag during a demonstration on independence day in Niger","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/34\/18\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_084e701c-d580-56dd-aff7-a7d4d64705e8-7803418.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3712}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"military-junta","titleRaw":"military junta","id":27254,"title":"military 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ECOWAS DEADLINE APPROACHES","path":"\/2023\/08\/05\/nigers-coup-leaders-ask-russian-mercenary-group-wagner-for-help","lastModified":1691255515},{"id":2338352,"cid":7800468,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230804_NWSU_52653331","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"International pressure mounts on coup leaders in Niger while hundreds rally in support of junta","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"International pressure mounts on coup leaders in Niger","titleListing2":"International pressure mounts on coup leaders in Niger while hundreds rally in support of junta","leadin":"International pressure mounted Thursday against leaders of the coup in Niger as the American secretary of state said the United States \u201cstands very much\u201d in support of West African leaders who have threatened to use force to restore the nation's democracy, and Senegal offered troops to help.","summary":"International pressure mounted Thursday against leaders of the coup in Niger as the American secretary of state said the United States \u201cstands very much\u201d in support of West African leaders who have threatened to use force to restore the nation's democracy, and Senegal offered troops to help.","keySentence":"","url":"international-pressure-mounts-on-coup-leaders-in-niger-while-hundreds-rally-in-support-of-","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/04\/international-pressure-mounts-on-coup-leaders-in-niger-while-hundreds-rally-in-support-of-","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"As hundreds of anti-French protesters rallied in the Nigerien capital in support of the ruling junta, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered general support for the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, though he did not specifically refer to its threat of military action.\u00a0 \n\nBlinken told reporters in New York that the US believes the bloc's efforts to reinstate toppled President Mohamed Bazoum are \u201cimportant, strong and have our support.\u201d \n\nSenegal's foreign affairs minister said her country would participate in a military intervention if ECOWAS decides to act. \u201cSenegalese soldiers have to go \u2026 these coups d\u2019\u00e9tat must be stopped,\" Aissata Tall Sall said. \n\nMeanwhile, Niger's military leaders sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment to shore up their takeover. The junta suspended broadcaster RFI and France 24 television from broadcasting in the country, according to the French foreign affairs ministry. The suspensions were part of the junta's \u201cauthoritarian repression,\u201d the ministry wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. \n\nLast week's coup toppled Bazoum, whose ascendency was Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The coup stirred strident anti-French sentiment and raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. \n\nThe coup has been condemned by Western countries and the ECOWAS bloc, which has threatened to forcibly remove the junta if it does not hand back power to Bazoum. As tensions have grown in the capital of Niamey and the region, many European countries have moved to evacuate their citizens. \n\nAt Thursday's protest organized by the junta and civil society groups on Niger\u2019s independence day, protesters pumped their fists in the air and chanted support for neighbouring countries where militaries have also taken power in recent years. Some waved Russian flags, and one man brandished a Russian and Nigerien flag sewn together. \n\n\u201cFor more than 13 years, the Nigerien people have suffered injustices,\" protester Moctar Abdou Issa said. The junta \"will get us out of this, God willing \u2026 they will free the Nigerien people.\u201d \n\n\u201cWe\u2019re sick of the French,\u201d he added. \n\nIt remains unclear whether a majority of the population supports the coup, and in many parts of the capital, people went about their lives as normal Thursday. \n\nUS President Joe Biden used the occasion of Niger\u2019s independence day to call for Bazoum to be released and democracy restored. \n\n\u201cThe Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections - and that must be respected,\u201d he said in a statement. \n\nWhite House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration was still focused on diplomacy. \n\n\u201cWe still believe there\u2019s time and space for that. The window is not going to be open forever,\u201d Kirby said. \n\nIn an address to the nation on Wednesday, the new military ruler, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, lashed out at those who have condemned the coup and called on the population to be ready to defend the nation. He said harsh sanctions imposed last week by ECOWAS were illegal, unfair and inhuman. \n\nECOWAS has set a deadline of Sunday for the junta to reinstate Bazoum, who remains under house arrest. \n\nIn an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Bazoum described himself as a hostage who was one among hundreds of citizens arbitrarily arrested. He said his nation's security situation was improving before the coup but was now at risk because Niger would lose foreign aid and terrorist groups would take advantage of its instability. \n\n\u201cIn our hour of need, I call on the US government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order,\u201d Bazoum wrote in the piece posted online late Thursday. \n\nAfter the deadline set by ECOWAS expires, the bloc is expected to decide by consensus on the next step as recommended by its defence chiefs. \n\nAt a bloc meeting in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, Brig. Gen. Tukur Ismaila Gusau, a Nigeria defence spokesman, said the defence chiefs have been asked to come up with a military solution, which they hope will be \"the last option.\u201d \n\nThe bloc's sanctions include halting energy transactions with Niger, which gets up to 90% of its power from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. \n\nFrance has 1,500 soldiers in Niger who conduct joint operations with its military against jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The United States and other European countries have helped train Niger's troops. \n\nNiger was seen as the West\u2019s last reliable partner in the region, but some in the country see Russia and its Wagner mercenary group, which operates in a handful of African countries, as a powerful alternative. \n\nThe new junta has not said whether it intends to ally with Moscow or stick with Niger\u2019s Western partners, but that question has become central to the unfolding political crisis. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso - both ruled by juntas - have turned toward Moscow. \n\nAhead of Thursday's demonstration, the French Embassy in Niamey asked Niger's government to ensure the security of its premises after it was attacked by protesters and a door was set on fire. \n\nThe president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, dispatched two delegations Thursday to deal with Niger\u2019s crisis. \n\nA group from ECOWAS headed by former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar was on its way to Niger. A second group led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe went to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria, said Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>As hundreds of anti-French protesters rallied in the Nigerien capital in support of the ruling junta, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered general support for the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, though he did not specifically refer to its threat of military action.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Blinken told reporters in New York that the US believes the bloc's efforts to reinstate toppled President Mohamed Bazoum are \u201cimportant, strong and have our support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Senegal's foreign affairs minister said her country would participate in a military intervention if ECOWAS decides to act. \u201cSenegalese soldiers have to go \u2026 these coups d\u2019\u00e9tat must be stopped,\" Aissata Tall Sall said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.75\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//80//04//68//808x608_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg/" alt=\"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/384x288_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/640x480_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/750x563_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/828x621_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/1080x810_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/1200x900_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/1920x1440_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey, Niger.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Niger's military leaders sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment to shore up their takeover. The junta suspended broadcaster RFI and France 24 television from broadcasting in the country, according to the French foreign affairs ministry. The suspensions were part of the junta's \u201cauthoritarian repression,\u201d the ministry wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n<p>Last week's coup toppled Bazoum, whose ascendency was Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The coup stirred strident anti-French sentiment and raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence.<\/p>\n<p>The coup has been condemned by Western countries and the ECOWAS bloc, which has threatened to forcibly remove the junta if it does not hand back power to Bazoum. As tensions have grown in the capital of Niamey and the region, many European countries have moved to evacuate their citizens.<\/p>\n<div\n data-stories-id=\"7798918,7792400,7790456\"\n data-event=\"widget_related\"\n class=\"widget widget--type-related widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <ul class=\"widget__related_list\"><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//03//watch-mass-rally-in-niger-in-support-of-the-recent-coup-with-some-people-carrying-russian-/">WATCH: Mass rally in Niger in support of the recent coup with some people carrying Russian flags<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//2023//08//01//what-could-the-military-coup-in-niger-mean-for-europe-and-the-west/">Niger crisis deepens as European nations evacuate, coup secures support from other juntas<\/a> <\/li><li class=\"widget__related_listItem\"> <a href=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//my-europe//2023//08//01//as-ecowas-threatens-intervention-in-niger-neighbouring-juntas-vow-mutual-defence/">EU countries to evacuate citizens from Niger as coup leaders get support from West African juntas<\/a> <\/li><\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>At Thursday's protest organized by the junta and civil society groups on Niger\u2019s independence day, protesters pumped their fists in the air and chanted support for neighbouring countries where militaries have also taken power in recent years. Some waved Russian flags, and one man brandished a Russian and Nigerien flag sewn together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor more than 13 years, the Nigerien people have suffered injustices,\" protester Moctar Abdou Issa said. The junta \"will get us out of this, God willing \u2026 they will free the Nigerien people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re sick of the French,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear whether a majority of the population supports the coup, and in many parts of the capital, people went about their lives as normal Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>US President Joe Biden used the occasion of Niger\u2019s independence day to call for Bazoum to be released and democracy restored.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-euronews\nwidget--size-fullwidth\nwidget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"auto widget__ratio widget__ratio--16x9\">\n <iframe type=\"text\/html\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////www.euronews.com//embed//2335702/" width=\"100%\" loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen seamless>\n <\/iframe>\n <\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections - and that must be respected,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the administration was still focused on diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe still believe there\u2019s time and space for that. The window is not going to be open forever,\u201d Kirby said.<\/p>\n<p>In an address to the nation on Wednesday, the new military ruler, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, lashed out at those who have condemned the coup and called on the population to be ready to defend the nation. He said harsh sanctions imposed last week by ECOWAS were illegal, unfair and inhuman.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS has set a deadline of Sunday for the junta to reinstate Bazoum, who remains under house arrest.<\/p>\n<p>In an opinion piece in The Washington Post, Bazoum described himself as a hostage who was one among hundreds of citizens arbitrarily arrested. He said his nation's security situation was improving before the coup but was now at risk because Niger would lose foreign aid and terrorist groups would take advantage of its instability.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn our hour of need, I call on the US government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order,\u201d Bazoum wrote in the piece posted online late Thursday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7001953125\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//86//10//808x565_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg/" alt=\"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/384x269_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/640x448_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/750x525_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/828x580_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/1080x756_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/1200x840_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/86\/10\/1920x1344_cmsv2_df93a893-c307-5256-a6a0-0b24f9e55312-7798610.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Supporters of Niger's ruling junta, gather for a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Thursday, Aug.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>After the deadline set by ECOWAS expires, the bloc is expected to decide by consensus on the next step as recommended by its defence chiefs.<\/p>\n<p>At a bloc meeting in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, Brig. Gen. Tukur Ismaila Gusau, a Nigeria defence spokesman, said the defence chiefs have been asked to come up with a military solution, which they hope will be \"the last option.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The bloc's sanctions include halting energy transactions with Niger, which gets up to 90% of its power from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.<\/p>\n<p>France has 1,500 soldiers in Niger who conduct joint operations with its military against jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The United States and other European countries have helped train Niger's troops.<\/p>\n<p>Niger was seen as the West\u2019s last reliable partner in the region, but some in the country see Russia and its Wagner mercenary group, which operates in a handful of African countries, as a powerful alternative.<\/p>\n<p>The new junta has not said whether it intends to ally with Moscow or stick with Niger\u2019s Western partners, but that question has become central to the unfolding political crisis. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso - both ruled by juntas - have turned toward Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of Thursday's demonstration, the French Embassy in Niamey asked Niger's government to ensure the security of its premises after it was attacked by protesters and a door was set on fire.<\/p>\n<p>The president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, dispatched two delegations Thursday to deal with Niger\u2019s crisis.<\/p>\n<p>A group from ECOWAS headed by former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar was on its way to Niger. A second group led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe went to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria, said Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the president.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691106547,"updatedAt":1691131684,"publishedAt":1691130868,"firstPublishedAt":1691130870,"lastPublishedAt":1691130870,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta hold a Russian flag at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta hold a Russian flag at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_22968db2-e078-547b-8900-3484188b2ce1-7800468.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":666},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey, Niger.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey, Niger.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/68\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_407c5e75-7dc6-5744-af24-9f04c0854ff4-7800468.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":768},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/80\/04\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4af8d887-42a1-54c9-be69-3266d5a84704-7800478.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":683}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"military","titleRaw":"Military","id":7306,"title":"Military","slug":"military"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"},{"count":1,"slug":"euronews"},{"count":1,"slug":"related"}],"related":[{"id":2338570}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"YVsLoggFNoA","dailymotionId":"x8n045y"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7717636,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NWSU_52653331_52653361_60000_083737_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11319044,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/04\/en\/230804_NWSU_52653331_52653361_60000_083737_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":{"id":3706,"urlSafeValue":"niamey","title":"Niamey"},"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gs_science_weather','gs_science_geography','gv_military','gs_vidgames'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT","path":"\/2023\/08\/04\/international-pressure-mounts-on-coup-leaders-in-niger-while-hundreds-rally-in-support-of-","lastModified":1691130870},{"id":2337896,"cid":7798998,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230803_NWSU_52646398","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Hundreds rally in Niger, denouncing France, as the country's new junta seeks to justify its coup","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Hundreds rally in Niger as country's new junta seeks to justify coup","titleListing2":"Hundreds rally in Niger, denouncing France, as the country's new junta seeks to justify its coup","leadin":"Hundreds demonstrated in support of the new regime in Niamey, as Niger's coup leaders and their supporters remain defiant as a deadline set by neighbouring regional countries to reinstate ousted President Mahomed Bazoum looms.","summary":"Hundreds demonstrated in support of the new regime in Niamey, as Niger's coup leaders and their supporters remain defiant as a deadline set by neighbouring regional countries to reinstate ousted President Mahomed Bazoum looms.","keySentence":"","url":"hundreds-rally-in-niger-denouncing-france-as-the-countrys-new-junta-seeks-to-justify-its-c","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/03\/hundreds-rally-in-niger-denouncing-france-as-the-countrys-new-junta-seeks-to-justify-its-c","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Hundreds of people rallied in support of Niger's ruling junta in the capital on Thursday, denouncing France and others who have criticised a recent coup \u2014 as the country\u2019s military leaders sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment to shore up their takeover. \n\nAs numbers began to swell at a demonstration organised by the junta and civil society groups on Niger's independence day, protesters in Niamey pumped their fists in the air and chanted out support for neighbouring countries that have also seen military takeovers in recent years. Some waved Russian flags, and one man brandished a Russian and Nigerien flag sewn together. \n\nLast week's coup toppled President Mohamed Bazoum \u2014 whose ascendency marked Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France. It has been accompanied by strident anti-French sentiment and raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence. \n\nThe coup has been strongly condemned by Western countries and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to remove the junta if they don\u2019t hand back power to Bazoum. As tensions have grown in the capital and the region, many European countries have moved to evacuate their citizens. \n\nThe French embassy on Twitter said that the country evacuated 1,079 people, including\u00a0 577 French nationals.\u00a0 \n\nAt Thursday's protest, many expressed support for the coup leaders and denounced interference from others. \n\n\u201cFor more than 13 years, the Nigerien people have suffered injustices,\" said protester Moctar Abdou Issa. The junta \"will get us out of this, God willing \u2026 they will free the Nigerien people.\u201d \n\n\u201cWe\u2019re sick of the French,\u201d he added. \n\nIt remains unclear whether the majority of the population supports the coup \u2014 and in many parts of the capital, people went about their lives on Thursday as normal. \n\nIn an address to the nation on Wednesday, the new military ruler, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, lashed out at those who have condemned the coup and called on the population to be ready to defend the nation. \n\nTchiani said Niger will face difficult times ahead and that the \u201chostile and radical\u201d attitudes of those who oppose his rule provide no added value. He called harsh sanctions imposed last week by ECOWAS illegal, unfair, inhuman and unprecedented. \n\nThe bloc has set a deadline of 6 August for the junta to reinstate Bazoum, who remains under house arrest. Its sanctions include halting energy transactions with Niger, which gets up to 90% of its power from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. \n\nIn a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, dozens of people from civil society organisations, professional groups and trade unions spoke with the coup leaders about their vision for the country. \n\n\u201cWe are talking about the immediate departure of all foreign forces,\u201d said Mahaman Sanoussi, interim coordinator for M62, an anti-French political alliance that organised Thursday\u2019s protest. \u201cThe dignity of the Nigerien people will be respected by all without exception.\u201d \n\nBut another civil society member at the gathering who refused to be named for security reasons said they left feeling concerned. They had a strong impression that the French military was going to be ousted soon and that members of civil society groups would help the junta do it. \n\nFrance has 1,500 soldiers in Niger who conduct joint operations with its military against jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation\u2019s troops. Niger was seen as the West\u2019s last reliable partner in the region, but some in the country see Russia and its Wagner mercenary group, which operates in a handful of African countries, as a powerful alternative. \n\nThe new junta has not said whether it intends to ally with Moscow or stick with Niger\u2019s Western partners, but that question has become central to the unfolding political crisis. Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso \u2014 both ruled by juntas \u2014 have turned toward Moscow. \n\nAhead of Thursday's demonstration, the French Embassy in Niamey asked Niger's government to take all measures to ensure the security and protection of its premises after it was attacked by protesters a door was set on fire. \n\nThe French military said that five flights using its planes had evacuated more than 1,000 people this week, and France\u2019s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that its evacuation operation has ended. \n\nThe US State Department on Wednesday ordered what it said was the temporary departure of nonessential embassy staff and some family members from Niger as a precaution. It said its embassy would remain open. The Pentagon's press secretary said that the State Department had not requested US military assistance for the departure. \n\nUS President Joe Biden used the occasion of Niger's independence day to call for Bazoum to be released and democracy restored. \n\n\u201cThe Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections \u2014 and that must be respected,\u201d he said in a statement Thursday. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Hundreds of people rallied in support of Niger's ruling junta in the capital on Thursday, denouncing France and others who have criticised a recent coup \u2014 as the country\u2019s military leaders sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment to shore up their takeover.<\/p>\n<p>As numbers began to swell at a demonstration organised by the junta and civil society groups on Niger's independence day, protesters in Niamey pumped their fists in the air and chanted out support for neighbouring countries that have also seen military takeovers in recent years. Some waved Russian flags, and one man brandished a Russian and Nigerien flag sewn together.<\/p>\n<p>Last week's coup toppled President Mohamed Bazoum \u2014 whose ascendency marked Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France. It has been accompanied by strident anti-French sentiment and raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence.<\/p>\n<p>The coup has been strongly condemned by Western countries and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to remove the junta if they don\u2019t hand back power to Bazoum. As tensions have grown in the capital and the region, many European countries have moved to evacuate their citizens.<\/p>\n<p>The French embassy on Twitter said that the country evacuated 1,079 people, including\u00a0 577 French nationals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1687040209551032321\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>At Thursday's protest, many expressed support for the coup leaders and denounced interference from others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor more than 13 years, the Nigerien people have suffered injustices,\" said protester Moctar Abdou Issa. The junta \"will get us out of this, God willing \u2026 they will free the Nigerien people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re sick of the French,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>It remains unclear whether the majority of the population supports the coup \u2014 and in many parts of the capital, people went about their lives on Thursday as normal.<\/p>\n<p>In an address to the nation on Wednesday, the new military ruler, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, lashed out at those who have condemned the coup and called on the population to be ready to defend the nation.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//89//98//808x454_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/384x216_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/640x360_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/750x422_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/828x466_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1080x608_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1200x675_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1920x1080_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Worker of Red Cross take care of people evacuated from Niger at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Tchiani said Niger will face difficult times ahead and that the \u201chostile and radical\u201d attitudes of those who oppose his rule provide no added value. He called harsh sanctions imposed last week by ECOWAS illegal, unfair, inhuman and unprecedented.<\/p>\n<p>The bloc has set a deadline of 6 August for the junta to reinstate Bazoum, who remains under house arrest. Its sanctions include halting energy transactions with Niger, which gets up to 90% of its power from neighbouring Nigeria, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.<\/p>\n<p>In a closed-door meeting on Wednesday, dozens of people from civil society organisations, professional groups and trade unions spoke with the coup leaders about their vision for the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are talking about the immediate departure of all foreign forces,\u201d said Mahaman Sanoussi, interim coordinator for M62, an anti-French political alliance that organised Thursday\u2019s protest. \u201cThe dignity of the Nigerien people will be respected by all without exception.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But another civil society member at the gathering who refused to be named for security reasons said they left feeling concerned. They had a strong impression that the French military was going to be ousted soon and that members of civil society groups would help the junta do it.<\/p>\n<p>France has 1,500 soldiers in Niger who conduct joint operations with its military against jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation\u2019s troops. Niger was seen as the West\u2019s last reliable partner in the region, but some in the country see Russia and its Wagner mercenary group, which operates in a handful of African countries, as a powerful alternative.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5625\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//89//98//808x454_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/384x216_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/640x360_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/750x422_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/828x466_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1080x608_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1200x675_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/1920x1080_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">With the headquarters of the ruling party burning in the back, supporters of mutinous soldiers demonstrate in Niamey, Niger.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The new junta has not said whether it intends to ally with Moscow or stick with Niger\u2019s Western partners, but that question has become central to the unfolding political crisis. Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso \u2014 both ruled by juntas \u2014 have turned toward Moscow.<\/p>\n<p>Ahead of Thursday's demonstration, the French Embassy in Niamey asked Niger's government to take all measures to ensure the security and protection of its premises after it was attacked by protesters a door was set on fire.<\/p>\n<p>The French military said that five flights using its planes had evacuated more than 1,000 people this week, and France\u2019s Foreign Ministry said Thursday that its evacuation operation has ended.<\/p>\n<p>The US State Department on Wednesday ordered what it said was the temporary departure of nonessential embassy staff and some family members from Niger as a precaution. It said its embassy would remain open. The Pentagon's press secretary said that the State Department had not requested US military assistance for the departure.<\/p>\n<p>US President Joe Biden used the occasion of Niger's independence day to call for Bazoum to be released and democracy restored.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders. They have expressed their will through free and fair elections \u2014 and that must be respected,\u201d he said in a statement Thursday.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691058363,"updatedAt":1691071926,"publishedAt":1691071492,"firstPublishedAt":1691071495,"lastPublishedAt":1691071495,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Supporters of Niger's ruling junta gather at the start of a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference in Niamey.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_9a13f932-298a-50fc-90f2-2be75271d3a8-7798998.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"With the headquarters of the ruling party burning in the back, supporters of mutinous soldiers demonstrate in Niamey, Niger.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"With the headquarters of the ruling party burning in the back, supporters of mutinous soldiers demonstrate in Niamey, Niger.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b45bf95b-97a8-564e-b791-4ec293aacf89-7798998.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Worker of Red Cross take care of people evacuated from Niger at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Worker of Red Cross take care of people evacuated from Niger at the Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, north of Paris","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_11ae2d18-616e-511f-9ae6-40a5151179c6-7798998.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in 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","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_safe','gt_negative','gb_safe','gs_science_geography','gs_science','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','gt_negative_fear','gs_tech'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER THURS UPDATE","path":"\/2023\/08\/03\/hundreds-rally-in-niger-denouncing-france-as-the-countrys-new-junta-seeks-to-justify-its-c","lastModified":1691071495},{"id":2337876,"cid":7798918,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230803_NCSU_52646201","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"WATCH: Mass rally in Niger in support of the recent coup with some people carrying Russian flags","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"WATCH: Mass rally in Niger in support of the recent coup","titleListing2":"WATCH: Mass rally in Niger in support of the recent coup with some people carrying Russian flags","leadin":"WATCH: Hundreds of people gather for a mass rally in the Niger capital Niamey in a show of support for the recent military coup with some brandishing giant Russian flags.","summary":"WATCH: Hundreds of people gather for a mass rally in the Niger capital Niamey in a show of support for the recent military coup with some brandishing giant Russian flags.","keySentence":"","url":"watch-mass-rally-in-niger-in-support-of-the-recent-coup-with-some-people-carrying-russian-","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/03\/watch-mass-rally-in-niger-in-support-of-the-recent-coup-with-some-people-carrying-russian-","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The demonstrators converged at Independence Square in the heart of the city, following a call by a coalition of civil society associations on a day marking the country's 1960 independence from France. \n\nThe coup has triggered alarm bells in Western countries struggling to contain a jihadist insurgency that flared in northern Mali in 2012, advanced into Niger and Burkina Faso three years later and now threatens the borders of fragile states on the Gulf of Guinea. \n\nFrance has some 1,500 troops in Niger in a bid to fight against jihadism in the Sahel. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The demonstrators converged at Independence Square in the heart of the city, following a call by a coalition of civil society associations on a day marking the country's 1960 independence from France.<\/p>\n<p>The coup has triggered alarm bells in Western countries struggling to contain a jihadist insurgency that flared in northern Mali in 2012, advanced into Niger and Burkina Faso three years later and now threatens the borders of fragile states on the Gulf of Guinea.<\/p>\n<p>France has some 1,500 troops in Niger in a bid to fight against jihadism in the Sahel.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1691057805,"updatedAt":1691062027,"publishedAt":1691061548,"firstPublishedAt":1691061551,"lastPublishedAt":1691061551,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"A Russian flag being brandished at the the rally in Niamey.","callToActionText":null,"width":960,"caption":"A Russian flag being brandished at the the rally in Niamey.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/89\/18\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_190c5a99-0a81-56e2-b02c-60300a682105-7798918.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":540}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in 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comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":{"id":3706,"urlSafeValue":"niamey","title":"Niamey"},"grapeshot":"'pos_equinor','pos_facebook','pos_pmi','pos_ukraine-russia','gs_science_geography','neg_facebook_2021','castrol_negative_uk','neg_mobkoi_castrol','neg_mobkoi_fb-weareonit_fs_28feb2019','neg_saudiaramco','neg_nespresso','gv_terrorism','gb_terrorism_high_med','gb_terrorism_high_med_low','gb_terrorism_news-ent','gs_auto','gt_negative','gs_politics','gs_politics_issues_policy','gs_politics_misc','gt_negative_sadness'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NC 3 NIGER PRO-COUP RALLY","path":"\/video\/2023\/08\/03\/watch-mass-rally-in-niger-in-support-of-the-recent-coup-with-some-people-carrying-russian-","lastModified":1691061551},{"id":2335064,"cid":7790456,"versionId":5,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230731_NWSU_52607416","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Niger crisis deepens as European nations evacuate, coup secures support from other juntas","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger crisis deepens as European nations evacuate","titleListing2":"Niger was the leading supplier of uranium to Europe and a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups in the region. Euronews asks Jean-Herv\u00e9 Jezequel from the International Crisis Group what regime change could mean for the West.","leadin":"Niger was the leading supplier of uranium to Europe and a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups in the region. Euronews asks Jean-Herv\u00e9 Jezequel from the International Crisis Group what regime change could mean for the West.","summary":"Niger was the leading supplier of uranium to Europe and a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups in the region. Euronews asks Jean-Herv\u00e9 Jezequel from the International Crisis Group what regime change could mean for the West.","keySentence":"","url":"what-could-the-military-coup-in-niger-mean-for-europe-and-the-west","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/08\/01\/what-could-the-military-coup-in-niger-mean-for-europe-and-the-west","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"A French military transport plane carrying Europeans from Niger arrived in Paris Wednesday, in the first such evacuation flight since mutinous soldiers ousted the country\u2019s democratically elected president nearly a week ago and shut its borders. \n\nFrance, Italy and Spain all announced evacuations from Niger for their citizens and other European nationals, concerned that they risked becoming trapped by the coup that won backing Tuesday from three other West African nations also ruled by mutinous soldiers. \n\nAbout 600 French nationals want to leave, along with 400 people of other nationalities from Belgians to Danes, French officials said. The first flight carried mostly French nationals, and officials hope to finish the evacuation flights by Wednesday. \n\nWith Niger's air space closed, France coordinated the evacuations with the regime that ousted the nation's leader, but without withdrawing its support for democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, diplomatic officials said. \n\nThe coup has raised fears that the West African nation, a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups in the region, could pivot towards Russia. \n\nThe ousting of democratically-elected president Mohammed Bazoum has been widely condemned by the European Union, the United States, and from within Africa. \n\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the power grab, describing the move as \"deplorable\". \n\nJean-Herv\u00e9 Jezequel, Director for the Sahel Project at the International Crisis Group\u00a0told Euronews that while Niger is central to Western security efforts in the region, it is too early to say if it might turn to Russia or the Wagner Group. \n\n\"We know that Wagner is interested in developing its capacity in West Africa. We anticipate also that within the new military regime - if they were to stay in power - they will look for different allies and might be tempted to establish relations with Russia.\u00a0 \n\n\"It's a possibility that there is a change in alliance and that Russia might develop its capacity for Wagner in the region. But right now it's a sort of red flag that is very convenient to use in order to be in a stronger position when you negotiate,\" he said.\u00a0 \n\nThere are also concerns about the coup's potential impact on the import of uranium to power Europe's nuclear plants. \n\nAs the world's seventh largest producer of the chemical element, it supplies the EU with almost 25 per cent of its reserves. The French state-owned nuclear energy company Orana says nuclear power plants in France source less than 10% of their uranium from the African country. \n\nJezequel says the impact is not critical. \n\n\"France used to be much more dependent on Nigerian uranium in the past than it is today,\" he explained.\u00a0 \n\n\"There has been a diversification of access to uranium in the world, including Canada, and Khazakstan. So it's a different market than it was 20 or 30 years ago. It's still an important interest, but it's not central, vital to France as it used to be.\" \n\n","htmlText":"<p>A French military transport plane carrying Europeans from Niger arrived in Paris Wednesday, in the first such evacuation flight since mutinous soldiers ousted the country\u2019s democratically elected president nearly a week ago and shut its borders.<\/p>\n<p>France, Italy and Spain all announced evacuations from Niger for their citizens and other European nationals, concerned that they risked becoming trapped by the coup that won backing Tuesday from three other West African nations also ruled by mutinous soldiers.<\/p>\n<p>About 600 French nationals want to leave, along with 400 people of other nationalities from Belgians to Danes, French officials said. The first flight carried mostly French nationals, and officials hope to finish the evacuation flights by Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>With Niger's air space closed, France coordinated the evacuations with the regime that ousted the nation's leader, but without withdrawing its support for democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, diplomatic officials said.<\/p>\n<p>The coup has raised fears that the West African nation, a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist groups in the region, could pivot towards Russia.<\/p>\n<p>The ousting of democratically-elected president Mohammed Bazoum has been widely condemned by the European Union, the United States, and from within Africa.<\/p>\n<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the power grab, describing the move as \"deplorable\".<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1684554296648499202\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Jean-Herv\u00e9 Jezequel, Director for the Sahel Project at the International Crisis Group\u00a0told Euronews that while Niger is central to Western security efforts in the region, it is too early to say if it might turn to Russia or the Wagner Group.<\/p>\n<p>\"We know that Wagner is interested in developing its capacity in West Africa. We anticipate also that within the new military regime - if they were to stay in power - they will look for different allies and might be tempted to establish relations with Russia.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"It's a possibility that there is a change in alliance and that Russia might develop its capacity for Wagner in the region. But right now it's a sort of red flag that is very convenient to use in order to be in a stronger position when you negotiate,\" he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There are also concerns about the coup's potential impact on the import of uranium to power Europe's nuclear plants.<\/p>\n<p>As the world's seventh largest producer of the chemical element, it supplies the EU with almost 25 per cent of its reserves. The French state-owned nuclear energy company Orana says nuclear power plants in France source less than 10% of their uranium from the African country.<\/p>\n<p>Jezequel says the impact is not critical.<\/p>\n<p>\"France used to be much more dependent on Nigerian uranium in the past than it is today,\" he explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\"There has been a diversification of access to uranium in the world, including Canada, and Khazakstan. So it's a different market than it was 20 or 30 years ago. It's still an important interest, but it's not central, vital to France as it used to be.\"<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690791437,"updatedAt":1690957269,"publishedAt":1690898707,"firstPublishedAt":1690898710,"lastPublishedAt":1690956690,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":4240,"caption":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/04\/56\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_4e226423-5975-5a28-b83c-dac8f95a2ba4-7790456.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":2832},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"-\/AFP or licensors","altText":null,"callToActionText":null,"width":5568,"caption":null,"url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/04\/62\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_cbdd6152-f7f1-5847-8572-2e7754fff895-7790462.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3712}],"authors":{"journalists":[{"urlSafeValue":"crook","twitter":null,"title":"Glynis Crook"}],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"raw-material","titleRaw":"Raw material","id":9103,"title":"Raw material","slug":"raw-material"},{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"}],"widgets":[{"count":1,"slug":"twitter"}],"related":[],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"SCzNB1ltpzU","dailymotionId":"x8mxcsj"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":179000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":22364024,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/02\/en\/230802_NWSU_52628307_52628337_112000_070552_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":179000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":33106296,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/02\/en\/230802_NWSU_52628307_52628337_112000_070552_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":null,"additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Thomas Bolton","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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IMPACT ENERGY","path":"\/2023\/08\/01\/what-could-the-military-coup-in-niger-mean-for-europe-and-the-west","lastModified":1690956690},{"id":2335702,"cid":7792400,"versionId":8,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230801_NWSU_52616659","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"EU countries to evacuate citizens from Niger as coup leaders get support from West African juntas","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Niger: France plans evacuation as coup leaders gather support","titleListing2":"EU countries to evacuate from Niger as West African juntas back coup","leadin":"France, Italy and Spain have announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Niger, days after a junta seized power in the country.","summary":"France, Italy and Spain have announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Niger, days after a junta seized power in the country.","keySentence":"","url":"as-ecowas-threatens-intervention-in-niger-neighbouring-juntas-vow-mutual-defence","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/my-europe\/2023\/08\/01\/as-ecowas-threatens-intervention-in-niger-neighbouring-juntas-vow-mutual-defence","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"This comes as two other West African nations ruled by mutinous soldiers, Mali and Burkina Faso, warned that any military intervention against the junta would be considered a \"declaration of war\". \n\nThe French Foreign Ministry in Paris cited recent violence that targeted the French Embassy in Niamey, the capital, as one of the reasons for the decision. \n\nThe closure of Niger's airspace also \u201cleaves our compatriots unable to leave the country by their own means,\u201d the ministry said. \n\nThe evacuation was starting Tuesday for French and European citizens who wish to leave, it said in a statement.\u00a0The German Foreign Ministry has urged German citizens in Niger to board the evacuation planes offered by the French authorities. \n\nItalian foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced\u00a0on Twitter that Italy would also arrange flights to evacuate its nationals from Niger's capital Niamey. \n\n\"The Italian government has decided to offer Italian nationals present in Niamey the possibility of leaving the city on a special flight to Italy. The Italian Embassy in Niamey will remain open and operational, also to contribute to the mediation efforts a course,\" Tajani said. \n\nLater on Tuesday, the Spanish foreign ministry confirmed it would evacuate 70 of its citizens from Niger by planes, given the absence of commercial flights. The evacuations will begin Tuesday and could be extended to other EU nationals. \n\nThe three EU countries' decisions to evacuate come amid a deepening crisis sparked by the coup last week against Niger\u2019s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. \n\nA European Commission spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that EU personnel in Niger\u2019s capital Niamey have been offered support to leave the city voluntarily, but that no decision on formally evacuating EU staff has yet been taken. \n\n\"The safety of EU citizens in Niger is our top priority,\" the spokesperson said. \n\nThe West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday and said it would use force if the coup leaders don\u2019t reinstate Bazoum within one week. Bazoum's government was one of the West\u2019s last democratic partners against West African extremists. \n\nThe European Commission confirmed that it had not yet received a request from ECOWAS to support travel and economic sanctions, but that it will analyse any request carefully,\u00a0\"with the purpose of determining of how best to respect the political commitments we have made.\" \n\nIn a joint statement, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso said that \"any military intervention against Niger will be considered as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.\u201d \n\nCol. Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali's state minister for territorial administration and decentralization, read the statement on Malian state TV Monday evening. The two countries also denounced the ECOWAS economic sanctions as \u201cillegal, illegitimate and inhumane\u201d and refused to apply them. \n\nECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks. Niger relies heavily on foreign aid, and sanctions could further impoverish its more than 25 million people. \n\nMali and Burkina Faso have each undergone two coups since 2020, as soldiers overthrew governments claiming they could do a better job fighting increasing jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. ECOWAS has sanctioned both countries and suspended them from the bloc, but never threatened to use force. \n\nAlso on Sunday, Guinea, another country under military rule since 2021, issued a statement in support of Niger's junta and urged ECOWAS to \u201ccome to its senses.\"Two West African nations ruled by mutinous soldiers said Monday that military intervention in Niger would be considered a \u201cdeclaration of war\u201d against them, as the junta attempts to consolidate power after a coup last week. \n\nIn anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing France, waving Russian flags along with signs reading \u201cDown with France\u201d and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin and telling the international community to stay away. \n\nThere has been no clear explanation of the Russian symbols, but the country seems to have become a symbol of anti-Western feelings for demonstrators. \n\nProtesters also burned down a door and smashed windows at the French Embassy before the Nigerien army dispersed them. \n\nNiger could be following in the same footsteps as Mali and Burkina Faso, say analysts, both of which saw protestors waving Russian flags after their respective coups. After the second coup in Burkina Faso in September, protestors also attacked the French Embassy in the capital, Ouagadougou, and damaged and ransacked the Institut Francais, France's international cultural promotion organization. \n\nIf ECOWAS uses force, it could also trigger violence between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say. \n\nWhile unlikely, \u201cthe consequences on civilians of such an approach, if putschists chose confrontation, would be catastrophic,\u201d said Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank. \n\nLyammouri does not see a \u201cmilitary intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,\u201d he said. \n\nBlinken on Sunday commended the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to \u201cdefend constitutional order in Niger\u201d after the sanctions announcement and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family. \n\nAlso Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane banned the use of social media to put out messages he describe as harmful to state security. He also claimed without evidence that Bazoum\u2019s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum. \n\nObservers believe Bazoum is being held at his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad\u2019s President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta. \n\nWorking with the West against extremism \n\nBoth the United States and France have sent troops and hundreds of millions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The country was seen as the last working with the West against extremism in a Francophone region where anti-French sentiment had opened the way for the Russian private military group Wagner. \n\nAfter neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso ousted the French military and began working with Wagner mercenaries, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country \u201ca model of democracy.\u201d \n\nThe US will consider cutting aid if the coup is successful, the State Department said Monday. Aid is \u201cvery much in the balance depending on the outcome of the actions in the country,\u201d said department spokesman Matt Miller. \u201cUS assistance hinges on continued democratic governance in Niger.\u201d \n\nFrance said Monday that President Emmanuel Macron is closely monitoring the situation in Niger and has discussed the crisis with regional leaders and European and international partners. \n\nThe sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday. \n\n\u201cWhen people say there\u2019s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it\u2019s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,\u201d he said. \n\nIn the capital of Niger, many people live in makeshift shelters tied together with slats of wood, sheets and plastic tarps because they can\u2019t pay rent. They scramble daily to make enough money to feed their children. \n\nECOWAS mixed record \n\nSince the 1990s, the 15-nation ECOWAS has tried to protect democracies against the threat of coups, with mixed success. \n\nFour nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020. \n\nIn the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa and one that left many wary of intervening in internal conflicts. In 2017, ECOWAS intervened in Gambia to prevent the new president\u2019s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered the country, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis of peace and security issues. The intervention was largely seen as accomplishing its mission. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>This comes as two other West African nations ruled by mutinous soldiers, Mali and Burkina Faso, warned that any military intervention against the junta would be considered a \"declaration of war\".<\/p>\n<p>The French Foreign Ministry in Paris cited recent violence that targeted the French Embassy in Niamey, the capital, as one of the reasons for the decision.<\/p>\n<p>The closure of Niger's airspace also \u201cleaves our compatriots unable to leave the country by their own means,\u201d the ministry said.<\/p>\n<p>The evacuation was starting Tuesday for French and European citizens who wish to leave, it said in a statement.\u00a0The German Foreign Ministry has urged German citizens in Niger to board the evacuation planes offered by the French authorities.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1686283486154350593\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani announced\u00a0on Twitter that Italy would also arrange flights to evacuate its nationals from Niger's capital Niamey.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1686291410964680705\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"The Italian government has decided to offer Italian nationals present in Niamey the possibility of leaving the city on a special flight to Italy. The Italian Embassy in Niamey will remain open and operational, also to contribute to the mediation efforts a course,\" Tajani said.<\/p>\n<p>Later on Tuesday, the Spanish foreign ministry confirmed it would evacuate 70 of its citizens from Niger by planes, given the absence of commercial flights. The evacuations will begin Tuesday and could be extended to other EU nationals.<\/p>\n<p>The three EU countries' decisions to evacuate come amid a deepening crisis sparked by the coup last week against Niger\u2019s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.<\/p>\n<p>A European Commission spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that EU personnel in Niger\u2019s capital Niamey have been offered support to leave the city voluntarily, but that no decision on formally evacuating EU staff has yet been taken.<\/p>\n<p>\"The safety of EU citizens in Niger is our top priority,\" the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p>The West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday and said it would use force if the coup leaders don\u2019t reinstate Bazoum within one week. Bazoum's government was one of the West\u2019s last democratic partners against West African extremists.<\/p>\n<p>The European Commission confirmed that it had not yet received a request from ECOWAS to support travel and economic sanctions, but that it will analyse any request carefully,\u00a0\"with the purpose of determining of how best to respect the political commitments we have made.\"<\/p>\n<p>In a joint statement, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso said that \"any military intervention against Niger will be considered as a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali's state minister for territorial administration and decentralization, read the statement on Malian state TV Monday evening. The two countries also denounced the ECOWAS economic sanctions as \u201cillegal, illegitimate and inhumane\u201d and refused to apply them.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS suspended all commercial and financial transactions between its member states and Niger, as well as freezing Nigerien assets held in regional central banks. Niger relies heavily on foreign aid, and sanctions could further impoverish its more than 25 million people.<\/p>\n<p>Mali and Burkina Faso have each undergone two coups since 2020, as soldiers overthrew governments claiming they could do a better job fighting increasing jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. ECOWAS has sanctioned both countries and suspended them from the bloc, but never threatened to use force.<\/p>\n<p>Also on Sunday, Guinea, another country under military rule since 2021, issued a statement in support of Niger's junta and urged ECOWAS to \u201ccome to its senses.\"Two West African nations ruled by mutinous soldiers said Monday that military intervention in Niger would be considered a \u201cdeclaration of war\u201d against them, as the junta attempts to consolidate power after a coup last week.<\/p>\n<p>In anticipation of the ECOWAS decision Sunday, thousands of pro-junta supporters took to the streets in Niamey, denouncing France, waving Russian flags along with signs reading \u201cDown with France\u201d and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin and telling the international community to stay away.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//24//00//808x539_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/384x257_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/640x428_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/750x501_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/828x553_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1080x721_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1200x802_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1920x1283_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Nigeriens holding a Russian flag participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>There has been no clear explanation of the Russian symbols, but the country seems to have become a symbol of anti-Western feelings for demonstrators.<\/p>\n<p>Protesters also burned down a door and smashed windows at the French Embassy before the Nigerien army dispersed them.<\/p>\n<p>Niger could be following in the same footsteps as Mali and Burkina Faso, say analysts, both of which saw protestors waving Russian flags after their respective coups. After the second coup in Burkina Faso in September, protestors also attacked the French Embassy in the capital, Ouagadougou, and damaged and ransacked the Institut Francais, France's international cultural promotion organization.<\/p>\n<p>If ECOWAS uses force, it could also trigger violence between civilians supporting the coup and those against it, Niger analysts say.<\/p>\n<p>While unlikely, \u201cthe consequences on civilians of such an approach, if putschists chose confrontation, would be catastrophic,\u201d said Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank.<\/p>\n<p>Lyammouri does not see a \u201cmilitary intervention happening because of the violence that could trigger,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//78//91//28//808x539_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg/" alt=\"AP Photo\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/384x257_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/640x428_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/750x501_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/828x553_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1080x721_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1200x802_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1920x1283_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, pictured, in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Blinken on Sunday commended the resolve of the ECOWAS leadership to \u201cdefend constitutional order in Niger\u201d after the sanctions announcement and joined the bloc in calling for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family.<\/p>\n<p>Also Sunday, junta spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane banned the use of social media to put out messages he describe as harmful to state security. He also claimed without evidence that Bazoum\u2019s government had authorized the French to carry out strikes to free Bazoum.<\/p>\n<p>Observers believe Bazoum is being held at his house in the capital, Niamey. The first photos of him since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad\u2019s President Mahamat Deby, who had flown in to mediate between the government and the junta.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.7490234375\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//79//24//00//808x603_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg/" alt=\"AFP PHOTO \/ FACEBOOK\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/384x288_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/640x479_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/750x562_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/828x620_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1080x809_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1200x899_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/1920x1438_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">The first photos of ousted President Bazoum since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad President Mahamat Deby, July 30, 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AFP PHOTO \/ FACEBOOK<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3>Working with the West against extremism<\/h3><p>Both the United States and France have sent troops and hundreds of millions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The country was seen as the last working with the West against extremism in a Francophone region where anti-French sentiment had opened the way for the Russian private military group Wagner.<\/p>\n<p>After neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso ousted the French military and began working with Wagner mercenaries, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country \u201ca model of democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The US will consider cutting aid if the coup is successful, the State Department said Monday. Aid is \u201cvery much in the balance depending on the outcome of the actions in the country,\u201d said department spokesman Matt Miller. \u201cUS assistance hinges on continued democratic governance in Niger.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-tweet widget--size-fullwidth widget--align-center\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio\u2014auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <div class=\"widget__tweet\" data-tweet-id=\"1685787484309917696\"><\/div>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>France said Monday that President Emmanuel Macron is closely monitoring the situation in Niger and has discussed the crisis with regional leaders and European and international partners.<\/p>\n<p>The sanctions could be disastrous and Niger needs to find a solution to avoid them, Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French media outlet Radio France Internationale on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen people say there\u2019s an embargo, land borders are closed, air borders are closed, it\u2019s extremely difficult for people ... Niger is a country that relies heavily on the international community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>In the capital of Niger, many people live in makeshift shelters tied together with slats of wood, sheets and plastic tarps because they can\u2019t pay rent. They scramble daily to make enough money to feed their children.<\/p>\n<h3>ECOWAS mixed record<\/h3><p>Since the 1990s, the 15-nation ECOWAS has tried to protect democracies against the threat of coups, with mixed success.<\/p>\n<p>Four nations are run by military governments in West and Central Africa, where there have been nine successful or attempted coups since 2020.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1990s, ECOWAS intervened in Liberia during its civil war, one of the bloodiest conflicts in Africa and one that left many wary of intervening in internal conflicts. In 2017, ECOWAS intervened in Gambia to prevent the new president\u2019s predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, from disrupting the handover of power. Around 7,000 troops from Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal entered the country, according to the Global Observatory, which provides analysis of peace and security issues. The intervention was largely seen as accomplishing its mission.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690839020,"updatedAt":1690901476,"publishedAt":1690876273,"firstPublishedAt":1690876276,"lastPublishedAt":1690897208,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/09\/98\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_e5b254df-1b3f-58e9-833c-47a2fccd0fd4-7790998.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AP Photo","altText":"Nigeriens holding a Russian flag participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023. ","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Nigeriens holding a Russian flag participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023. ","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f1556fec-dd7d-5265-814c-ff35837981a1-7792400.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":" AFP PHOTO \/ FACEBOOK ","altText":"The first photos of ousted President Bazoum since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad President Mahamat Deby, July 30, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"The first photos of ousted President Bazoum since the coup appeared Sunday evening, sitting on a couch smiling beside Chad President Mahamat Deby, July 30, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/79\/24\/00\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c9f376ce-3d77-500a-abf5-97b42e21d6d0-7792400.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":767}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"military","titleRaw":"Military","id":7306,"title":"Military","slug":"military"},{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"}],"widgets":[{"count":3,"slug":"image"},{"count":3,"slug":"twitter"}],"related":[{"id":2334598}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Pd9NxO7I8MY","dailymotionId":"x8mx4z0"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":92000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":12171527,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NWSU_52621990_52622026_92000_164549_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":92000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":18219783,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/08\/01\/en\/230801_NWSU_52621990_52622026_92000_164549_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP 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News"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gb_safe','gs_science','gs_science_geography','gs_news','gs_news_and_weather','castrol_negative_it','gs_tech','gv_military'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER FIRST PHOTOS OUSTED PRESIDENT","path":"\/my-europe\/2023\/08\/01\/as-ecowas-threatens-intervention-in-niger-neighbouring-juntas-vow-mutual-defence","lastModified":1690897208},{"id":2334636,"cid":7789262,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230730_NCSU_52602872","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"Watch: Protesters in Niger denounce France, wave the Russian flag","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"Watch: Protesters in Niger denounce France, wave the Russian flag","titleListing2":"Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.","leadin":"Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.","summary":"Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.","keySentence":"","url":"watch-protesters-in-niger-denounce-france-wave-the-russian-flag","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/31\/watch-protesters-in-niger-denounce-france-wave-the-russian-flag","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger\u2019s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country\u2019s future and some are calling out the junta\u2019s reasons for seizing control. \n\nThe mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasn\u2019t able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence.\u00a0 \n\nBut some analysts and Nigeriens say that\u2019s just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger\u2019s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country\u2019s future and some are calling out the junta\u2019s reasons for seizing control.<\/p>\n<p>The mutineers said they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger\u2019s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France, because he wasn\u2019t able to secure the nation from growing jihadi violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But some analysts and Nigeriens say that\u2019s just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690725842,"updatedAt":1690796530,"publishedAt":1690795341,"firstPublishedAt":1690795344,"lastPublishedAt":1690795344,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters in Niger.","callToActionText":null,"width":1920,"caption":"Protesters in Niger.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/92\/78\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_f66be062-b698-53c9-b67a-53cccbafda4d-7789278.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":1080}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"},{"urlSafeValue":"emmanuel-macron","titleRaw":"Emmanuel Macron","id":12357,"title":"Emmanuel Macron","slug":"emmanuel-macron"},{"urlSafeValue":"paris","titleRaw":"Paris","id":412,"title":"Paris","slug":"paris"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2334494},{"id":2336054}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"Xh73FrL4wls","dailymotionId":"x8mwelr"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7706466,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/07\/30\/en\/230730_NCSU_52602872_52602982_60000_161546_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11793250,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NC\/SU\/23\/07\/30\/en\/230730_NCSU_52602872_52602982_60000_161546_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"nocomment","urlSafeValue":"nocomment","title":"no comment","online":1,"url":"\/nocomment"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gv_military','gb_safe','gt_negative','gs_busfin','gs_business','gs_busfin_indus','gs_politics_misc','gs_economy','gs_economy_misc'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NC 5 NIGER RALLY","path":"\/video\/2023\/07\/31\/watch-protesters-in-niger-denounce-france-wave-the-russian-flag","lastModified":1690795344},{"id":2334598,"cid":7789128,"versionId":3,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230730_NWSU_52602176","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"France warns attacks on its interests in Niger will not be tolerated","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"France warns attacks on its interests in Niger will not be tolerated","titleListing2":"France warns attacks on its interests in Niger will not be tolerated","leadin":"Protesters vandalised the French embassy in Niamey after a military junta moved to seize power in the aid- and security-dependent West African nation.","summary":"Protesters vandalised the French embassy in Niamey after a military junta moved to seize power in the aid- and security-dependent West African nation.","keySentence":"","url":"france-warns-attacks-on-its-interests-in-niger-will-not-be-tolerated","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/30\/france-warns-attacks-on-its-interests-in-niger-will-not-be-tolerated","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"Emmanuel Macron \"will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests\" in Niger and Paris will retaliate \"immediately and uncompromisingly\", the French government said on Sunday, as thousands demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey in support of an ongoing military coup. \n\n\"Anyone attacking French nationals, the army, diplomats or French bases would see France retaliate immediately and intractably,\" the Elys\u00e9e Palace warned in a statement. \"The President of the Republic will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests.\" \n\nAccording to the Quai d'Orsay, 500 to 600 French nationals are currently in Niger. \n\n\"France also supports all regional initiatives aimed at \"restoring constitutional order\" and the return of the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, the palace added. \n\nStorming the embassy \n\nThe French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned \"any violence against diplomatic compounds, the security of which is the responsibility of the host state\". \n\nFrance is Niger's key development and security ally, and currently has 1,500 soldiers there. But following the coup led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, it announced on Saturday that it was suspending its aid to the country. \n\nThousands of people have demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey, where they were ultimately dispersed with tear gas. \n\nSome tried to enter the building, while others tore down the plaque reading \"French Embassy in Niger\" before trampling it on the tarmac and replacing it with Russian and Nigerien flags. \n\nWagner influence \n\nDemonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia's involvement in the rallies, if any, isn't clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading \"Down with France\" and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin. \n\nThe Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighbouring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners. \n\nThe protest was convened by the civil movement M62, which objects to the French army's Barkhane operation in the Sahel and Sahara. \n\nEmergency meeting \n\nAt an emergency meeting on Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorised the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government. \n\nShortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station. \n\nECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region's political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>Emmanuel Macron \"will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests\" in Niger and Paris will retaliate \"immediately and uncompromisingly\", the French government said on Sunday, as thousands demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey in support of an ongoing military coup.<\/p>\n<p>\"Anyone attacking French nationals, the army, diplomats or French bases would see France retaliate immediately and intractably,\" the Elys\u00e9e Palace warned in a statement. \"The President of the Republic will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests.\"<\/p>\n<p>According to the Quai d'Orsay, 500 to 600 French nationals are currently in Niger.<\/p>\n<p>\"France also supports all regional initiatives aimed at \"restoring constitutional order\" and the return of the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, the palace added.<\/p>\n<h2>Storming the embassy<\/h2><p>The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned \"any violence against diplomatic compounds, the security of which is the responsibility of the host state\".<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//78//91//28//808x539_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg/" alt=\"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/384x257_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/640x428_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/750x501_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/828x553_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1080x721_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1200x802_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1920x1283_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, pictured, in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>France is Niger's key development and security ally, and currently has 1,500 soldiers there. But following the coup led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, it announced on Saturday that it was suspending its aid to the country.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of people have demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey, where they were ultimately dispersed with tear gas.<\/p>\n<p>Some tried to enter the building, while others tore down the plaque reading \"French Embassy in Niger\" before trampling it on the tarmac and replacing it with Russian and Nigerien flags.<\/p>\n<h2>Wagner influence<\/h2><div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.66796875\">\n <div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n <div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n <div class=\"widget__contents\">\n <figure class=\"widget__figure\">\n <img class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=https://www.euronews.com/"https:////static.euronews.com//articles//stories//07//78//91//28//808x539_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg/" alt=\"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/384x257_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 384w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/640x428_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 640w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/750x501_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 750w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/828x553_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 828w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1080x721_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1200x802_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/1920x1283_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 95vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, (max-width: 1280px) 55vw, 728px\"\/>\n <figcaption class=\"widget__caption\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionWrap\">\n <span class=\"widget__captionText\">Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023<\/span>\n <span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.<\/span>\n <\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia's involvement in the rallies, if any, isn't clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading \"Down with France\" and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p>The Russian mercenary group Wagner is operating in neighbouring Mali, and under Putin Russia has expanded its influence in West Africa. The new junta's leaders have not said whether they intend to ally themselves with Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners.<\/p>\n<p>The protest was convened by the civil movement M62, which objects to the French army's Barkhane operation in the Sahel and Sahara.<\/p>\n<h2>Emergency meeting<\/h2><p>At an emergency meeting on Sunday, the West African bloc known as ECOWAS said that it was suspending relations with Niger, and authorised the use of force if President Mohamed Bazoum is not reinstated within a week. The African Union has issued its own 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the democratically elected government.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after the ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to lead mediation efforts, according to the Chad state radio station.<\/p>\n<p>ECOWAS has struggled to make a definitive impact on the region's political crises in the past but Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690720381,"updatedAt":1690781585,"publishedAt":1690720953,"firstPublishedAt":1690720956,"lastPublishedAt":1690780718,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"AFP","altText":"Protesters hold a sign taken from the French Embassy in Niamey during a demonstration that followed a rally in support of Niger's junta.","callToActionText":null,"width":5568,"caption":"Protesters hold a sign taken from the French Embassy in Niamey during a demonstration that followed a rally in support of Niger's junta.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_c94e25ef-7459-570e-936c-3a2892600b54-7789128.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":3131},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, pictured, in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, pictured, in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_bc1a12a7-b279-5356-bc83-7f99c94807c6-7789128.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684},{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, Sunday, July 30, 2023","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/91\/28\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_daba2f84-870a-57cb-b8a4-c6e3346028ca-7789128.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":684}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"emmanuel-macron","titleRaw":"Emmanuel Macron","id":12357,"title":"Emmanuel Macron","slug":"emmanuel-macron"},{"urlSafeValue":"france","titleRaw":"France","id":117,"title":"France","slug":"france"}],"widgets":[{"count":2,"slug":"image"}],"related":[{"id":2335702},{"id":2339426}],"technicalTags":[{"path":"euronews.byenglishwebteam"},{"path":"euronews"}],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"0hvgMfZtDN8"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":20000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":0,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/31\/en\/230731_NWSU_52604524_52604550_95000_070233_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":20000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":0,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/31\/en\/230731_NWSU_52604524_52604550_95000_070233_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AFP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world 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Macron on Niger","path":"\/2023\/07\/30\/france-warns-attacks-on-its-interests-in-niger-will-not-be-tolerated","lastModified":1690780718},{"id":2334258,"cid":7788342,"versionId":1,"archive":0,"housenumber":"230730_NWSU_52599579","owner":"euronews","isMagazine":0,"isBreakingNews":0,"channels":[{"id":1},{"id":2},{"id":4},{"id":5},{"id":10},{"id":12},{"id":14}],"status":2,"title":"African Union gives Niger rebels 15-day ultimatum","titleSeo":null,"titleListing1":"African Union gives Niger rebels 15-day ultimatum","titleListing2":"If General Omar Tchiani and his men do not yield, the AU has threatened to impose what it has called \"extreme sanctions\" on the African nation.","leadin":"If General Omar Tchiani and his men do not yield, the AU has threatened to impose what it has called \"extreme sanctions\" on the African nation.","summary":"If General Omar Tchiani and his men do not yield, the AU has threatened to impose what it has called \"extreme sanctions\" on the African nation.","keySentence":"","url":"african-union-gives-niger-rebels-15-day-ultimatum","canonical":"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2023\/07\/30\/african-union-gives-niger-rebels-15-day-ultimatum","masterCms":"v2","plainText":"The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country\u2019s democratically elected government just as the coup leaders met with senior civil servants to discuss how they would run the country and as the United States and the European Union threatened sanctions against the regime. \n\nAfter its meeting on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council said it was concerned by the \u201calarming resurgence\u201d of coups that undermine democracy and stability on the continent. It asked the soldiers to \u201creturn immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.\u201d \n\nBazoum, whose condition and that of his officials remain unknown since the government was overthrown, should also be released immediately and unconditionally, the AU said. Failure to do so would compel the bloc to take \u201cnecessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.\u201d \n\nOn the streets of the Nigerien capital Niamey on Saturday, things appeared to be returning to normal, though many in the international community were still on lockdown with hotels full of foreigners, many given instructions not to leave. \n\nCould a former president be behind the coup? \n\nGeneral Abdourahmane 'Omar' Tchiani, the junta leader and commander of Niger's presidential guard, is close to former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who stepped down in 2021 after a decade in office. Tchiani's takeover of power will reinforce speculation that Issoufou is behind the coup, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank and consultancy. \n\nThe US threatened to halt its economic support to Niger while the European Union announced the immediate indefinite suspension of budgetary support and security assistance. \n\nInsurgencies increasing hardship in the region \n\nWhile there are no signs of the junta backing down amid growing international pressure, analysts called for synergy in the interventions of the international community and continental organizations such as the AU and the regional bloc of ECOWAS, which is scheduled to meet over the coup on Sunday. \n\nA successful coup in Niger and the sanctions in the aftermath could cause more hardship for millions of poor and hungry people in West Africa and could further threaten international relations with the region, which is seeing a resurgence of coups in recent years, according to Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. \n\n","htmlText":"<p>The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the country\u2019s democratically elected government just as the coup leaders met with senior civil servants to discuss how they would run the country and as the United States and the European Union threatened sanctions against the regime.<\/p>\n<p>After its meeting on Friday, the African Union Peace and Security Council said it was concerned by the \u201calarming resurgence\u201d of coups that undermine democracy and stability on the continent. It asked the soldiers to \u201creturn immediately and unconditionally to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum of fifteen (15) days.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bazoum, whose condition and that of his officials remain unknown since the government was overthrown, should also be released immediately and unconditionally, the AU said. Failure to do so would compel the bloc to take \u201cnecessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On the streets of the Nigerien capital Niamey on Saturday, things appeared to be returning to normal, though many in the international community were still on lockdown with hotels full of foreigners, many given instructions not to leave.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Could a former president be behind the coup?<\/strong><\/h2><p>General Abdourahmane 'Omar' Tchiani, the junta leader and commander of Niger's presidential guard, is close to former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou, who stepped down in 2021 after a decade in office. Tchiani's takeover of power will reinforce speculation that Issoufou is behind the coup, said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German think tank and consultancy.<\/p>\n<p>The US threatened to halt its economic support to Niger while the European Union announced the immediate indefinite suspension of budgetary support and security assistance.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Insurgencies increasing hardship in the region<\/strong><\/h2><p>While there are no signs of the junta backing down amid growing international pressure, analysts called for synergy in the interventions of the international community and continental organizations such as the AU and the regional bloc of ECOWAS, which is scheduled to meet over the coup on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>A successful coup in Niger and the sanctions in the aftermath could cause more hardship for millions of poor and hungry people in West Africa and could further threaten international relations with the region, which is seeing a resurgence of coups in recent years, according to Idayat Hassan, senior Africa program fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n","hashtag":null,"createdAt":1690677129,"updatedAt":1690698425,"publishedAt":1690696560,"firstPublishedAt":1690696564,"lastPublishedAt":1690696564,"expiresAt":0,"images":[{"sourceUrl":null,"sourceCredit":null,"callToActionUrl":null,"captionCredit":"Sam Mednick\/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.","altText":"Supporters of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum demonstrate in his favor in Niamey, Niger, on July 26, 2023.","callToActionText":null,"width":1024,"caption":"Supporters of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum demonstrate in his favor in Niamey, Niger, on July 26, 2023.","url":"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/07\/78\/12\/12\/{{w}}x{{h}}_cmsv2_b1f57e37-78fb-565e-9713-923745dfaf33-7781212.jpg","captionUrl":null,"height":720}],"authors":{"journalists":[],"producers":[],"videoEditor":[]},"keywords":[{"urlSafeValue":"niger","titleRaw":"Niger","id":213,"title":"Niger","slug":"niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup-in-niger","titleRaw":"Coup in Niger","id":28942,"title":"Coup in Niger","slug":"coup-in-niger"},{"urlSafeValue":"coup","titleRaw":"Coup","id":7863,"title":"Coup","slug":"coup"},{"urlSafeValue":"ecowas","titleRaw":"ECOWAS","id":11320,"title":"ECOWAS","slug":"ecowas"}],"widgets":[],"related":[{"id":2333710},{"id":2333384},{"id":2332640}],"technicalTags":[],"externalPartners":{"youtubeId":"2cIuBrpvkFI","dailymotionId":"x8mvhky"},"video":1,"videos":[{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":7650556,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/med\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/30\/en\/230730_NWSU_52599579_52600285_60000_074340_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"md"},{"duration":60000,"editor":"","filesizeBytes":11549948,"format":"mp4","type":"normal","url":"https:\/\/video.euronews.com\/mp4\/EN\/NW\/SU\/23\/07\/30\/en\/230730_NWSU_52599579_52600285_60000_074340_en.mp4","expiresAt":0,"quality":"hd"}],"liveStream":[{"endDate":0,"startDate":0}],"scribbleLiveId":0,"scribbleLiveRibbon":0,"isLiveCoverage":0,"sourceId":1,"sources":[],"externalSource":"AP","additionalSources":"","additionalReporting":"Euronews","freeField1":null,"freeField2":"","type":"normal","displayType":"default","program":{"id":"world","urlSafeValue":"world","title":"world news","online":1,"url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/programs\/world"},"vertical":"news","verticals":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":1,"title":"News","slug":"news"}],"primaryVertical":{"id":1,"slug":"news","urlSafeValue":"news","title":"News"},"themes":[{"urlSafeValue":"news","id":"news","title":"World","url":"\/\/www.euronews.com\/news\/international"}],"primaryTheme":{"id":1,"urlSafeValue":"news","title":"World"},"advertising":0,"advertisingData":{"startDate":0,"endDate":0,"type":null,"slug":null,"title":null,"disclaimerLabelKey":null,"sponsor":null,"sponsorName":null,"sponsorUrl":null,"sponsorLogo":"","sponsorLogoReverse":"","isDfp":0},"geoLocation":{"lat":0,"lon":0},"location":1,"continent":{"id":3,"urlSafeValue":"africa","title":"Africa"},"country":{"id":213,"urlSafeValue":"niger","title":"Niger","url":"\/news\/africa\/niger"},"town":[],"grapeshot":"'gs_science','gs_science_geography','gv_military','gb_death_injury_high_med','gb_death_injury_high_med_low','gb_death_injury_news-ent','african_related_content_fr','gs_busfin'","versions":[],"programDeliverable":{"slug":"sujet","format":"default"},"showOpinionDisclaimer":0,"allViews":0,"allViewsMeta":{"pointOfView":[],"survey":[],"tweetId":0,"tweet2NdId":0,"displayOverlay":0},"storyTranslationMethod":[],"localisation":[],"daletEventName":"NIGER ULTIMATUM","path":"\/2023\/07\/30\/african-union-gives-niger-rebels-15-day-ultimatum","lastModified":1690696564}]"
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