Hassoumi Massaoudou is particularly worried about the turn taken by the coup in Niger. The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mohamed Bazoum, president overthrown on July 26, reported on Monday “pogroms” in the capital Niamey, without however specifying against whom they were directed.
“Currently in Niamey (…) there are pogroms with hordes of young people excited by racial and ethnic hatred. (…) That is why there is an urgent need to stop this and put Niger back on a path of peace, stability and economic progress,” said Hassoumi Massaoudou in an interview with RFI and France 24.
A risk for Niger’s “cohesion”
“The speech that was released in Niamey is racist speech, intolerance speech,” he said, adding: “We must stop this risk to the cohesion of our country, that’s why we must act quickly and put an end very quickly to what has just happened”.
Asked about the demonstrations in favor of the soldiers who took power, he put their importance into perspective. “Those who speak out are the pro-juntas, because the others are under the threat of shots and bullets. These are armed people against unarmed people, ”he analyzed.
Hassoumi Massaoudou also firmly rejected the charges of “high treason” brought by the military regime against the overthrown president. “The junta has no legitimacy to judge anyone. What they have committed is more than treason, it is a criminal act, they cannot have the moral pretension to judge anyone”, he explained, believing that “it is completely grotesque, surreal, to hear these people talking about prosecuting President Bazoum”.
The Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for its part described Monday as “provocation” the threats of legal proceedings by the military authorities against President Bazoum for “high treason”. This threat is “a new form of provocation and contradicts the will attributed to the military authorities of the Republic of Niger to restore constitutional order by peaceful means”, according to ECOWAS.