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| Niger Coup News Roundup for August 19th, 2023 |
| 2023-08-20 |
| Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. UN delegation arrives for talks in Niger [Regnum] The United Nations mission met with the military that came to power in Niger, radio station RFI reported on August 19. A delegation led by UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel Leonardo Santos Simao arrived in Niamey in the afternoon of 18 August. “According to our information, the mission was received by the prime minister appointed by the rebels in his office, accompanied by the minister of defense and the minister of the interior,” the radio station said. It is noted that among the members of the UN mission there are no representatives of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African Countries) or the African Union. During a lengthy conversation, the rebels called the economic sanctions imposed on Niger inhumane and illegal. The military assured the members of the mission that everything was fine with the overthrown President Mohamed Bazum , he was receiving the necessary food. The rebels have issued accusations against international media that spread disinformation. Negotiations between the diplomatic mission and the military of Niger will continue. As reported by IA Regnum , combat aircraft of Burkina Faso and Mali appeared on the territory of Niger. This measure is designed to repulse any kind of aggression against the country. The exact location of the aircraft is unknown. A military coup in Niger took place at the end of July. The presidential guard blocked the country's president Mohammed Bazum in the residence and announced his overthrow. At an extraordinary summit in Abuja on August 10, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) decided to prepare for the deployment of a reserve force of the organization that could carry out an armed invasion of Niger to free the ousted president. In turn, the Nigerian military expressed their readiness to rebuff any foreign interference. On August 18, at a meeting in Accra, the capital of Ghana, the ECOWAS Chiefs of Staff agreed to launch a military invasion of Niger, without naming a specific date. The organization's commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, Abdel Fatau Musah, said that what is happening in Niger is part of a series of upheavals in the region and ECOWAS will try to put an end to this. More from regnum.ru Delegation of West African countries arrived in Niger for talks A delegation from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) has arrived in Niger to try to act as mediators in resolving the situation in the country . According to these data, the plane with members of the delegation landed at Niamey airport around 15:00 Moscow time. The day before, on August 18, ECOWAS officials announced that they had already set a date for military intervention in Niger, which would take place if the issue was not resolved otherwise, but that date was not expected to be announced. As IA Regnum reported earlier, Burkina Faso's Defense Minister Kassoum Koulibaly said on August 19 that an attempt by ECOWAS to intervene in Niger could begin "at any moment." Burkina Faso, as well as Mali, supports the actions of the rebels in Niger, earlier, in solidarity with them, they deployed military aircraft on the territory of Niger. The head of the National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland, ruling in Niger after the coup d'état, General Abdurahman Tchiani , said earlier that he was ready to start negotiations with ECOWAS leaders to resolve the situation through diplomatic means. However, during the meeting with O. US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland , representatives of the rebels said that if neighboring states try to invade Niger, then the deposed President of the Republic, Mohamed Bazum, will be killed. Alexei Zaitsev, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry , noted earlier that Moscow supports the settlement of the situation in Niger and opposes the forceful intervention of ECOWAS. Yet more from regnum.ru Burkina Faso prepares for ECOWAS intervention in Niger The authorities of Burkina Faso are preparing for the fact that the forces of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) may launch a military operation in Niger. This was stated by the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs of the African country Kassum Koulibaly. “We are in anticipation of aggression. In any case, the head of our state said: we are ready for aggression, we support Niger, ” RIA Novosti quoted Koulibaly as saying. He specified that Burkina Faso is ready to withdraw from ECOWAS because it considers the union's policy towards Niger to be illogical. As IA Regnum reported, on August 8, ECOWAS Commissioner Abdel Fatau Musah announced an agreement reached by the chiefs of the organization's general staff on the date of the start of the military operation in Niger. The military is ready to execute the order at any moment, the measures necessary for the intervention have been agreed and finalized, he said. Musah added that what is happening in Niger is part of a series of upheavals in the region, ECOWAS will try to put an end to this. Burkina Faso and Mali called on the United Nations Security Council to resolve the military coup in Niger. The joint letter also indicates that Mali and Burkina Faso are seeking to find solutions to the situation in Niger through diplomatic negotiations. Burkina Faso and Mali deployed combat aircraft in Niger. By deploying aircraft, Burkina Faso and Mali are honoring their commitments contained in their joint communiqué of solidarity with the Niger. This measure is designed to rebuff any kind of aggression against Niger, the journalists noted. Again, more from regnum.ru Burkina Faso does not intend to create a Russian military base There is no talk of establishing a Russian military base in Burkina Faso. This was stated by the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs of the African country, Kassum Koulibaly, answering a relevant question from journalists. “This is not about inviting foreign troops or creating bases,” RIA Novosti quotes him as saying. I do not think that this can solve the problem of terrorism, he added, adding that the country's leadership knows what is really happening in the state. “It's hard for us to let other soldiers die for us. We need to get the necessary funds so that we can conduct our own struggle,” the minister stressed. Coulibaly added that a new concept is now being implemented in the country, which involves the formation of small groups from the population to fight terrorists, it was born by the will of the people. According to him, the country's leadership is developing appropriate legal norms to be sure that these people can handle weapons, and most importantly, that they respect human rights. As reported by IA Regnum , at least 20 people were killed in an attack, allegedly by jihadist militants in the East-Central region of Burkina Faso. It is specified that the militants attacked a convoy of merchants in the village of Noao, near the city of Bittu. The attackers killed, according to various reports received from survivors and witnesses, from 20 to 25 people. In addition, the militants looted and set fire to the vehicles of the victims. One of the merchants reported more than 15 trucks full of goods destroyed by the attackers. Even more from regnum.ru Burkina Faso and Mali deploy combat aircraft in Niger Combat aircraft of Burkina Faso and Mali appeared on the territory of Niger, RTN reported on August 18. By deploying aircraft, Burkina Faso and Mali are honoring their commitments contained in their joint communiqué of solidarity with the Niger. This measure is designed to rebuff any kind of aggression against Niger, the journalists said. The channel does not cover the exact location of the aircraft. As reported by IA Regnum , on August 18, Commissioner of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) Abdel Fatau Musah announced an agreement reached by the chiefs of the organization's general staff on the start date of the military operation in Niger. The military is ready to execute the order at any moment, the measures necessary for the intervention have been agreed and finalized, he said. Musah added that what is happening in Niger is part of a series of upheavals in the region, ECOWAS will try to put an end to this. Burkina Faso and Mali called on the United Nations Security Council to resolve the military coup in Niger. The joint letter also indicates that Mali and Burkina Faso are seeking to find solutions to the situation in Niger through diplomatic negotiations. The joint statement of the transitional governments of Burkina Faso and Mali states that any military intervention against Niger will be tantamount to a declaration of war against them. Burkina Faso and Mali are also ready to withdraw from ECOWAS in case of military intervention against Niger. [PUBLISH.TWITTER]
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| Posted by:badanov |