The newly-appointed Prime Minister by the military junta in Niger Republic, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, has said the regime would survive the sanctions imposed on the country by Heads of State and Government of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
This came as military generals in the Niger Republic late Sunday night vowed to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for what they described as high treason.
Zeine, who stated this in an interview with German broadcaster, Deutsche Welle yesterday, said: “We think that even though it is an unfair challenge that has been imposed on us, we should be able to overcome it. And we will overcome it,” Zeine, who was appointed by Niger’s military leaders, told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Also late Sunday night, Niger’s military regime vowed to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for “high treason” and slammed West African leaders for imposing sanctions on the country.
The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, imposed sanctions on Niger in response to the coup and has not ruled out using force against the army officers, who toppled the democratically elected Bazoum on July 26.
It also approved the deployment of a “standby force to restore constitutional order” in Niger as soon as possible but remains committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Niger’s military leaders said they would prosecute Bazoum “for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger”, according to a statement read out by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane on national television.
Bazoum, 63, and his family have been held at the president’s official Niamey residence since the coup, with international concern mounting over his conditions in detention.
“After this visit, the doctor raised no problems regarding the state of health of the deposed president and members of his family,” the military said.
They also said sanctions imposed on Niger had made it difficult for people to access medicines, food and electricity, and were “illegal, inhumane and humiliating”.
The comments came just hours after religious mediators met with coup leader General Abdourahamane Tiani, who indicated his regime was open to a diplomatic breakthrough.
Tiani “said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter”, said Sheikh Bala Lau, a day after his Nigerian Muslim delegation held talks in the capital Niamey.
Tiani “claimed the coup was well intended” and that the plotters “struck to stave off an imminent threat that would have affected” Nigeria as well as Niger, according to Lau’s statement.
But Tiani said it was “painful” that ECOWAS had issued an ultimatum to restore Bazoum without hearing “their side of the matter”, the statement added.
The Muslim leaders visited Niamey with the blessing of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also head of ECOWAS.
Tinubu has adopted a firm stance against the coup, the sixth to hit an ECOWAS member state since 2020.
The bloc has severed financial transactions and electricity supplies and closed borders with landlocked Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world’s poorest countries.
On July 30, it issued a seven-day ultimatum to restore Bazoum or face the potential use of force, but the deadline expired without the new rulers backing down.
The bloc scrapped a Saturday crisis meeting on the coup due to be held in Ghana’s capital Accra for “technical reasons”.
Demonstrations in favour of the new military rulers have become a common sight in Niamey.
The United States on Monday voiced outrage over threats by Niger’s military rulers to try detained president Mohamed Bazoum, saying the move would worsen tensions.
“We are incredibly dismayed by reports that President Bazoum’s unjust detention has gone even a step further,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
“This action is completely unwarranted and unjustified and, candidly, it will not contribute to a peaceful resolution of this crisis.”
Meanwhile, former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG Chief Frank Kokori, said yesterday that the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS, was doing what it was supposed to do to bring normalcy to Niger Republic, saying it couldn’t have folded its arms and allow military juntas take over the region.
He also told Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu’s administration and give him at least six months before casting aspersions on him, noting that the people were becoming paranoid.
Reacting to the development in Niger Republic, Kokori said: “Those of us who lived through 30 years of military regims know how bad it was, but these young boys, most of them in their forties, don’t know what the military did. People don’t know what they enjoy in a democracy.
“Now, because of soured grapes, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Labour Party, LP, are trying to throw stones on what ECOWAS is doing. It is not Tinubu that is doing this, it is ECOWAS. Military dictatorship anywhere in the world, no matter how liberal, is not as good as democracy.
“I am not in total support of African leaders; they come as civilians, you vote for them and after sometimes, they turn dictators. ECOWAS did not say in their resolution that they are moving in in seven days with a war.
“Actually, it was just an ultimatum for them to step down. If you don’t step down, we will take action and the action could be economic sanctions, but those boys were deaf and dumb and didn’t want to receive people.
“They are coupists and they didn’t want to hear from anybody and if they do that, another country will take over and the whole of West Africa will become a bloc of coupists.
”When coups are dying all over the world, it is trying to bring it’s head in West Africa and this must stop. That is what they are trying to do, nobody wants war at this time.
“Nigerians too should remember that we have been in 15 years of torture of bad governance. Obasanjo is a bit better.
”Since Obasanjo, we have been in quagmire. Buhari destroyed this country, so let us give this man (Tinubu) some time. Just two months and people are shouting and shouting. Why should we not give him at least six months or even a year?
“Nigerians have become so paranoid. Nigerians should have patience. The way they are pushing the President is not fair. They should give him time to plan things step by step. Two months is too early to kill a government. As for Niger, know that there is going to be no war.”
Source | Vanguard
