The leaders of the member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are meeting Thursday, August 10, in Abuja (Nigeria) for a crucial summit, after the failure of their ultimatum to the soldiers who took the power. “Important Decisions” are expected at this summit, warned on Tuesday the organization, opposed to the putsch, which reaffirmed to privilege the diplomatic way to restore constitutional order in Niger, while maintaining its threat of the use of force. Follow our live.
A previous ultimatum completed on Monday. ECOWAS had presented an ultimatum on July 30 to the military in power, which ended on Monday. This regional force, which brings together 15 countries, then said it was ready to intervene against the putschists. In the end, no military intervention was triggered.
The head of the UN “very concerned” about the conditions of detention of Mohamed Bazoum. Antonio Guterres denounced on Wednesday “the deplorable conditions in which President Bazoum and his family would live”the UN said in a statement. The party of the elected head of state claimed that he was sequestered without water or electricity and lived on reserves.
The military in power accuse France of having violated Niger’s airspace. THE “French forces took off” Wednesday from N’Djamena (Chad), “a military plane”, says a press release from the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) which has taken power. The CNSP also accuses Paris of having “freed from terrorists”. According to the Quai d’Orsay, “the air movement carried out today in Niger was the subject of a prior agreement (…) with the Nigerien forces”. And to specify: “No terrorist has been released by the French forces”.