The military in power in Niamey are increasing the pressure on Mohamed Bazoum. The perpetrators of the coup d’etat in Niger announced on Sunday evening their intention to “prosecute” the overthrown president for “high treason” and “undermining the security” of the country.
“The Nigerien government has to date gathered” the “evidence to prosecute before the competent national and international authorities the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices, for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger”, declared the Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the members of the regime, in a press release read on national television.
The junta does not want to hear about kidnapping
The government bases its accusations on “exchanges” of Mohamed Bazoum with “nationals”, “foreign heads of state”, and “heads of international organizations”. Regarding the deposed president, the regime called for “questioning the sincerity of his claim to maintain that he is kidnapped, even though the soldiers have never taken over his presidential residence and he still has all communication means “.
The soldiers assured that Mohamed Bazoum “regularly receives visits from his doctor”. “After this visit, the doctor did not raise any concerns about the state of health of the deposed president and his family members,” they added. According to an adviser to the overthrown president, a consultation took place on Saturday.
Mohamed Bazoum, held in his presidential residence since the day of the coup d’etat on July 26 with his son and his wife, had declared in several media to be a “hostage”, then deprived of electricity and forced to eat only rice and pasta.
ECOWAS sanctions criticized
In addition, the military regime denounced “the illegal, inhuman and humiliating sanctions of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)”, taken during a summit of the organization on July 30. West African states have announced, among other things, the suspension of financial and commercial transactions with Niger. These sanctions “go so far as to deprive the country of pharmaceutical products, foodstuffs” and “supply of electric current”, deplored the soldiers, indicating that “all urgent measures are being taken to mitigate as much as possible the impact of sanctions”.
Finally, concerning people close to the deposed regime arrested since the coup, the military in power added that they “reaffirm their firm will to respect (…) Niger’s commitments in terms of human rights”.