The military junta that seized power in Niger at the end of July announced that it will sentence former president Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason" and for engaging in dialogue with foreign heads of state and international organizations after being ousted. According to the French daily Le Monde, the current Niger government has gathered evidence against Bazoum and plans to present it to national and international authorities.
According to the statements of Major Colonel Amadou Abdramane, one of the members of the regime, the former president and his local and foreign accomplices will be indicted for threatening the internal and external security of Niger. Le Monde claimed that the coup leaders have based their accusations against Bazoum on his "exchanges" with "foreign heads of state" and "heads of international organizations."
The African Union, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations have said they are concerned about the conditions in which the country's leaders are holding Bazoum. The former president's political party announced that Bazoum and his family have no access to drinking water, fresh food, or medical care. The ousted president told Human Rights Watch that his son needs to see a doctor immediately because he has a serious heart condition. However, the current government of Niger announced that the former president does have access to medical care and that his last visit was on August 12.
The coup leaders announced their plans to sentence the former president the same day they expressed their interest in dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The ECOWAS delegation, led by Chief Abdulahi Bala Lau, a Nigerian leader, landed this weekend in Niamey, where they met with the head of the military junta, General Abdurahamane Tiani, and the prime minister appointed this week by the coup plotters, Mahamane Lamine Zeine.
According to Nigerian media, the delegation leader stated that Tiani is open to reaching a diplomatic agreement. According to the sources, ECOWAS is expected to promote the possibility of reaching a diplomatic solution to the confrontation over the past coup. In addition, the African Union Peace and Security Council, made up of 55 countries, will meet on Monday to discuss the situation in Niger and the consequences of the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in the last three years.
US, French, German and Italian military troops are stationed in Niger. Likewise, Russian influence has grown in the region as insecurity increases and the military junta is looking for new partners to restore order. According to Nigerian media, Western powers fear Russia's influence could increase if the coup leaders follow in the footsteps of Mali and Burkina Faso, who expelled French troops after coups in their countries.
