Niger coup threaten to kill ousted President Bazoum if the neighbouring countries resort to restore his rule

Amid the looming possibility of military intervention by Western African leaders, reports have surfaced indicating that the leaders of the Niger coup have issued a threat to kill the ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, should neighboring countries resort to restoring his rule.

Citing two Western officials, the AP news agency reported on Thursday (Aug 10) that during a meeting with US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the Niger military leaders explicitly stated their intention to kill Bazoum if the West African bloc ECOWAS employs any military force.

The AP report followed shortly after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a 15-member group, reiterated its earlier threat and ordered the activation of its standby force.

President Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, is currently being held hostage at his residence.

ECOWAS’s response came during a meeting in Nigeria’s Abuja on Thursday, where they discussed their strategies for dealing with the military coup, as the junta leaders had defied their previous threat to use force to restore democracy.

Furthermore, the bloc pledged to impose additional sanctions and travel bans on those hindering the return to power of the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.

“No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort,” stated Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who serves as the ECOWAS chair, at the conclusion of the summit.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting Niger on the journey towards peaceful democratic stability,” he affirmed, expressing hope for a peaceful resolution and the restoration of stability and democracy in Niger.

An official communique was issued following the meeting, outlining resolutions, including a directive to the bloc’s defense chiefs to “activate the ECOWAS Standby Force with all its elements immediately.”

Another resolution mentioned “the deployment of the ECOWAS Standby Force to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger,” followed by another that emphasized restoring this order “through peaceful means.”

This meeting followed the recent appointment of a new interim government by Niger’s coup leaders. Mahamane Roufai Laouali, referred to as the “secretary general of the government,” named 21 ministers, though no further government plans were specified in the announcement.