United States: The United States Secretary of State Mr. Antony Blinken has offered his “unflagging support” to Niger’s ousted President Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, warning his captors that hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance could be at risk if democratic norms are not restored.
“The US top diplomat told Mr. Bazoum that Washington would work to reestablish the constitutional order after the West African leader was toppled in a military coup,” the State Department noted.
According to reports, Mr. Blinken also “praised Mr. Bazoum’s role in promoting security not only in Niger but in the wider West Africa region.”
Mr. Blinken’s comments came after he told the Niger leader earlier in the week that US support for the landlocked African nation would depend on its “democratic governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.”
Niger’s General Mr. Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself the head of a transitional government recently after members of Niger’s presidential guard took Mr. Bazoum into custody earlier this week.
The 62-year-old military leader announced that he had taken control of the government to prevent “the gradual and inevitable demise of the country.”
Mr. Tchiani previously led the resistance to a failed coup in March 2021, when troops tried to take over the presidential palace days before the swearing-in of the then-newly elected President Mr. Bazoum.
The US and France consider Niger, which borders seven African countries, including Libya, Chad, and Nigeria, as an important partner to address security threats in the region.
The country is the largest recipient of US military assistance in West Africa, having received an estimated $500 million in assistance since 2012.
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