The detention of former government ministers by Niger’s new junta was denounced and their immediate release was sought by the European Union on Monday...CONTINUE READING
“The EU denounces the continued arrests of ministers and senior officials of President Mohamed Bazoum’s government by the putschists in Niger,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter, renamed X. “We call for their immediate release ,” he added.
Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum ‘s party has warned that the West African country is at risk of becoming a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime” after a series of arrests. The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS, in power), denounced the “abusive arrests” of four ministers – Interior, Petroleum, Mines and Transport – as well as the head of its national executive committee.
The European Union, which views Niger as a crucial pillar of security in the unstable Sahel area, has denounced the coup there. It stopped providing fiscal assistance to Niamey and issued a warning that it might follow this coup with fresh sanctions.
The elite presidential guard overthrew Mr. Bazoum on July 26, a Western friend whose victory just over two years ago marked the first peaceful transfer of power in Niger since independence.
Despite having uranium resources, Niger is one of the world’s poorest nations. It is the third nation in the area to have a coup since 2020, following Mali and Burkina Faso, and is beset by attacks from organizations affiliated with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda….CONTINUE READING
