Niger’s Junta has reportedly conveyed a threat to Victoria Nuland, a senior U.S. diplomat, indicating their intention to kill the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum if neighboring countries pursued any military intervention to restore his rule. This revelation was disclosed by two Western officials speaking to The Associated Press.
During her recent visit to the country, representatives of the junta conveyed this threat to Victoria Nuland, the U.S. Under Secretary of State. The disclosure was made to her by the junta’s representatives. A Western military official shared this information on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
A U.S. official, also speaking anonymously as they were not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed this account according to the AP report.
Following his ousting on July 26, Bazoum has claimed that he is being held captive at his residence.
In response to the coup, the regional ECOWAS bloc announced on Thursday that it had directed the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger. However, specific details regarding the composition, location, and proposed timing of the military intervention force’s deployment were not provided.
The heads of member states within the West African bloc convened in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, for discussions. When asked for clarification, Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the ECOWAS commission, could only reaffirm the decision made by the “military authorities in the subregion to deploy a standby force of the community.” He also mentioned that financing had been discussed and appropriate measures had been taken in this regard.
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