Niger: Tinubu writes Senate, highlights 7 resolutions to restoring democracy

In a bid pursuant to restore democracy in the neighboring Niger Republic, President Tinubu has written to the Nigerian Senate, seeking their support in implementing seven crucial resolutions aimed at pressuring the military junta to relinquish power and reinstate civilian rule. These resolutions reflect the collective will of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and underscore Nigeria’s commitment to regional stability and democratic values. The first resolution calls for a military buildup and deployment of personnel to Niger’s borders, with the intention of enforcing compliance with the military junta. The President emphasized that this measure is not an act of aggression but rather a deterrent to ensure the junta understands the seriousness of the international community’s stance on democratic governance. In another resolution, the President seeks the suspension of electricity supply to Niger Republic as a means of applying economic pressure. According to the President, this move sends a strong message to the military junta that their actions have consequences beyond their borders and aims to foster public discontent over the lack of essential services. President Tinubu also highlighted the importance of rallying international support for the implementation of ECOWAS provisions. Diplomatic efforts will be intensified to garner cooperation from other African nations and the global community, demonstrating a united front in the fight for democracy. To further isolate the military junta and disrupt their operations, the fourth resolution seeks from Tinubu seeks to prevent the operation of commercial and special flights to and from Niger Republic. This measure will curtail the junta’s mobility and impede their ability to sustain their rule. In a move to exert economic pressure, the President proposed a blockade of goods in transit to Niger, particularly from Lagos and eastern seaports. This tactic aims to disrupt the flow of goods and impact the junta’s access to essential supplies, further fueling discontent within the country, Recognizing the power of social media in shaping public opinion, the President urged the Senate to embark on a sensitization campaign, utilizing various platforms as this campaign will inform Nigerians and the international community about the necessity and importance of these actions, garnering support for the cause. The seventh resolution calls for the immediate closure and monitoring of all land borders with Niger Republic. Additionally, the border drilling exercise will be reactivated to tighten security and prevent any illicit activities that may undermine the resolution’s objectives. President Tinubu emphasized that these actions are not taken lightly and are in full accordance with ECOWAS’ commitment to upholding democratic principles in the region. The objective is to restore civilian rule, safeguard human rights, and pave the way for free and fair elections in Niger Republic. President Tinubu’s call for the implementation of these seven resolutions against Niger Republic marks a critical step in the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in the region.

Niger Coup: Thousands march in solidarity in Niamey

Demonstrators took to the streets of Niger’s capital Niamey on Thursday in a show of support for the country’s new leadership, a week after a military coup in the West African country. People rallied on the streets of Niamey to signal their support for de facto president Abdourahmane Tchiani and his junta, a dpa correspondent in the capital reported. The demonstrations followed a call by civil society associations, according to reports. They came on the 63rd anniversary of Niger gaining independence from former colonial power France. According to local media, people also demonstrated in the city of Agadez, with posters seen expressing support for the putschists. Russian flags are also said to have been waved. Agadez is on the edge of the Sahara Desert, which many migrants pass through on their way through the desert to Libya and towards the Mediterranean. The coup plotters managed to ignite a “nationalistic fire” in the population within a week, said Olaf Bernau from the migration network Afrique-Europe-Interact. Part of the reason for this is the EU’s migration strategy in Niger. For several years, Niger, as an important transit country for migrants heading for Europe, has received financial support to limit migration. Since 2015, a law in Niger has criminalized illegal migration and its support. So far, Niger has not only been an important partner for the West in containing migration, but also in the fight against terrorism. In the Sahel, dozens of militias, some of whom have sworn allegiance to so-called Islamic State (IS) or the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda, regularly carry out attacks. Last week, officers of the presidential guard in Niger arrested the democratically elected president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and declared him deposed. Tchiani, the commander of the presidential guard, appointed himself the new ruler on Friday, suspended the constitution, and dissolved all constitutional institutions. Bazoum used an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Thursday to call for the international world to help restore constitutional order. He was writing “as a hostage” and was “just one of hundreds of citizens who have been arbitrarily and illegally imprisoned,” Bazoum said in the piece. The coup had no justification and, if it succeeded, would have “devastating consequences for our country, our region, and the entire world,” Bazoum wrote. He used the piece to call on the US government and “the entire international community” to help restore order. “Fighting for our shared values, including democratic pluralism and respect for the rule of law, is the only way to make sustainable progress against poverty and terrorism. The Nigerien people will never forget your support at this pivotal moment in our history,” he wrote. Niger’s new rulers are looking for allies. The deputy head of the country’s military junta, General Salifou Modi, travelled to the neighbouring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also ruled by army officers who took power in military coups. Both have pledged their support to Niger, Modi said, particularly in the area of security. “We are happy about the closeness we have with our brothers in Mali,” the deputy head of Niger’s military junta, General Salifou Modi, said after a meeting with the government in the Malian capital Bamako on Wednesday. Burkina Faso’s military strongman Ibrahima Traoré also assured him of his support at a meeting in the capital Ouagadougou on Wednesday, Modi said. Pressure continues to mount on Niger, with Nigeria suspending electricity supplies and the World Bank freezing payments to the West African nation on Wednesday. Also, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given the putschists in Niger an ultimatum. If Bazoum is not reinstated by Sunday, ECOWAS will take action that could include sanctions and armed force, it declared. Meanwhile, in Paris, the French Foreign Ministry said the evacuation of its nationals from Niger has been completed, according to a statement on its website published on Thursday. French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Twitter that 1,079 French and foreign nationals have been evacuated since Tuesday. There were four Paris-bound flights carrying 992 people including 560 French nationals. A fifth and final flight brought about 100 people to Chad, the French General Staff told dpa. Paris said the evacuation was needed because Niger had closed its airspace and there had been reported violence at the French embassy during pro-coup protests. Niger’s junta has accused France of planning a military intervention. French broadcasters France 24 and RFI have been banned from broadcasting in Niger. A statement issued on Thursday evening by France’s Foreign Ministry said it very firmly condemned the suspension of broadcasting. The measures taken against the press in Niger occurred in a context of authoritarian repression by those responsible for the coup, the ministry added. In Washington, President Joe Biden noted on Thursday on the occasion of Niger’s Independence Day, that the West African country “is facing a grave challenge to its democracy.” He repeated calls for the immediate release of Bazoum and his family and “for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy.” 

West Africa Defence Chiefs meet Wednesday to discuss Niger coup

Defence chiefs from West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS will meet in Nigeria’s capital Abuja for two days beginning Wednesday to discuss last week’s coup in Niger, the bloc said in a statement on Tuesday. On Sunday leaders of the Economic Community of West African States slapped sanctions on Niger and warned they may use force as it gave the junta a week to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. The leaders gave the junta seven days to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held captive. Earlier, the junta warned it would resist any “plan of aggression against Niger” by regional or Western powers. Meanwhile hundreds of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in the capital Niamey. A statement read out after the Sunday summit in Nigeria said that Ecowas had “zero tolerance” for coups. The regional bloc said it would “take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order” if its demands were not met within a week. “Such measures may include the use of force,” and military chiefs are to meet “immediately” to plan for an intervention, the statement added. The Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel was at the meeting, and said Ecowas had taken a decisive action because events in Niger were concerning. “Niger is playing a key role in fighting terrorism. If Niger stops playing this role this will give more space and more leeway to terrorists to expand in the region,” Dr Leonardo Santos Simao told BBC’s Newshour programme. He added that “no official negotiations” were taking place between ECOWAS and the country’s military junta. This is the first time ECOWAS has threatened military action to reverse the coups that have taken place in the region in recent years. It last sanctioned military intervention in 2017, when Senegalese troops were deployed to The Gambia to force long-serving ruler Yahya Jammeh to leave office after he refused to accept defeat in elections. Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has gone to Niamey to tell the junta to step down, Chad’s government said. He met junta deputy leader Gen. Salifou Mody. It is unclear whether he will hold talks with Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the head of the presidential guards unit who has declared himself Niger’s new ruler. The West African leaders also announced the immediate enforcement of a no-fly zone over Niger for all commercial flights, the closure of all land borders with the country, and the imposition of financial sanctions against the junta. Ahead of their meeting, Gen. Tchiani warned ECOWAS and unnamed Western nations against stepping in. “We once again reiterate to ECOWAS or any other adventurer, our firm determination to defend our fatherland,” the statement, which was read out on TV, said. The coup has prompted concern that Niger, a former French colony, could pivot towards Russia. The ousted president had worked closely with both regional and Western nations to fight militant Islamists. Burkina Faso and Mali moved closer to Russia after their own coups. In Niamey, some of the protesters outside the French embassy chanted “Long live Russia”, “Long live Putin” and “Down with France”, AFP news agency reports. They also set fire to the walls of the embassy compound. France would not tolerate any attack on its interests in Niger, and would respond in an “immediate and intractable manner”, President Emmanuel Macron’s office said in a statement. 

Niger Coup: ECOWAS calls for immediate release, reinstatement of President Bazoum

Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS on Sunday in Abuja called for the immediate release and reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum as the legitimate Head of State and Government of the Republic of Niger. This is contained in a communique at the end of the Extraordinary Summit on Socio-Political Situation in the Republic of Niger read by the President, ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray. The leaders also rejected any form of purported resignation by Bazoum and declared him as the only recognised and elected President by ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community. ‘‘In this regard, only official acts of President Bazoum or his duly-mandated officials will be recognized by ECOWAS,’’ they said. The leaders expressed strong condemnation of the attempted overthrow of constitutional order in Niger, and the illegal detention of President Bazoum, as well as members of his family and government. They demanded full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger and considered the illegal detention of Bazoum as a hostage situation, holding the coupists solely responsible for his safety and that of his family and government. In the event the ECOWAS’ demands are not met within one week, the leaders said they would take all measures necessary to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. “Such measures may include the use of force for this effect, the Chiefs of Defence staff of ECOWAS is to meet immediately,’’ the leaders said. ECOWAS leaders also condemned the pronouncement of support by foreign governments and foreign private military contractors, while expressing appreciation to various governments and partners for their stance and solidarity. The Summit hosted by President Bola Tinubu, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also agreed to appoint and dispatch a Special Representative to deliver the demands of the authority. In response to the coup attempt, the Summit announced immediate sanctions on Niger including the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger. They also agree on establishing a no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger, and suspending all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger. Furthermore, assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Bank, Niger state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial banks will be frozen. Niger will also be suspended from all financial assistance and transactions with financial institutions within ECOWAS. Additionally, travel bans and assets freezes were imposed on the military officials  involved in the coup attempt, as well as their family members and civilians who accept to participate in any institution or government established by these military officials. In his closing remark, Tinubu thanked fellow leaders, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, the Special Representative of the Secretary -General and Head of the United Nations Office in West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Simaõ, for their active engagement and invaluable contributions to the discussions. ‘‘As we come close to this Extraordinary Summit on the socio- political situation in the Republic of Niger, I send my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your active engagement in our open and closed door meeting. ‘‘Your invaluable contributions to our discussions have got us this far and hopefully, we will achieve our objective. ‘‘The essence of African unity and solidarity is hereby reaffirmed. Our unwavering commitment to democracy, peace and prosperity is hereby resolved. ‘‘Throughout our deliberations, we have recognized that the challenges faced by Niger are inter connected with broader issues affecting our region. ‘‘As African leaders, it is our shared responsibility to foster stability and progress, placing the wellbeing of our people at the forefront of our endeavours, and working together towards their prosperity and happiness must always consistently be our goals. ‘‘We will stand with our people in freedom and our commitment to the rule of law and not the barrel of gun. Africa has come of age. We reject coup and interruption to constitutional order,’’ he said. Before the Summit, the President also held bilateral meetings with President Umaro Embalo of Guinea Bissau, President Mahmat Itno of Chad, and Michael Health, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of African Affairs. Presidents Patrice Talon of Benin Republic,  Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire, Adama Barrow of The Gambia, Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Macky Sall of Senegal, Faure Gnassingbé of Togo attended the Summit while the Presidents of Cape Verde, Liberia, Niger and  Sierra Leone were represented.

Niger Coup: Tinubu, ECOWAS leaders in crucial meeting

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government are meeting in Abuja, at an extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger. President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chairman of the ECOWAS, is hosting the meeting to continue to dialogue on the way out of the impasse that the military takeover has thrown the region into.  ECOWAS nations, including Niger Republic, would likely impose sanctions on the military headed by the former head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani.  The African Union (AU), ECOWAS, UN, EU and Niger’s former colonial ruler France, have condemned the takeover, insisting on return to constitutional rule in the country. Though funding is still unclear, the ECOWAS leaders have agreed on a regional security force to intervene against jihadists and military coups. The AU’s Peace and Security Council “demands the military personnel to immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum period of 15 days”, it said in a communiqué after a meeting on Friday. The AU’s Peace and Security Council condemned the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was taken into custody on Wednesday by the coupists. The takeover was justified by the junta as a response to the deteriorating security situation in the country. In light of the unfolding events, the AU’s call for the military to restore constitutional authority and return to their barracks is aimed at upholding democratic principles and preserving stability in Niger.  A communiqué is expected at the end of the one-day meeting.