Article

2023-08-08 Africa North

Niger Coup News Roundup for August 7th, 2023

Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
Niger announced the closure of the country's airspace

[Regnum] Rebels in Niger closed the country's airspace following an ultimatum from the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS). This was reported on August 7 by the Arabic TV channel Al-Arabiya .

“The military council of the rebels (“National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland.” – Approx. ed.) in Niger announces the closure of the country’s airspace,” the message says.

As IA Regnum reported , on the night of July 27, a group of military men in Niger announced a coup d'etat and the removal of President Mohamed Bazum from power . ECOWAS later gave the rebels a week to return the ousted head of state to power, promising to use force to restore constitutional order.

Later, the military leadership of ECOWAS announced its refusal to use force against Niger. At the same time, the community promised to strengthen sanctions against the country.

The ousted president of Niger asked the United States to restore constitutional order in the country. He did it through The Washington Post.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian side is in favor of returning the situation in Niger to a constitutional track as soon as possible.

More from regnum.ru
US does not rule out a full-scale war in Africa because of the situation in Niger

The situation in Niger could lead to the outbreak of a full-scale war in Africa, said the former commander of NATO forces in Europe, retired US Navy Admiral James Stavridis.

Retired US Navy Admiral Stavridis warns of all-out war in Africa
“Will this lead to a full-scale war in Africa? Of course, there is potential for this. This would be a significant and devastating event,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier, the military authorities of Niger said that a foreign invasion of the country was being prepared, so a decision was made to close the airspace. Which state plans to invade Niger, the rebels did not specify.

As IA Regnum reported , on the night of July 27, a group of military men in Niger announced a coup d'état and the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazum . The military turned against the country's leader because of the deteriorating security situation and poor management. The command of the Armed Forces of Niger supported the rebels.

The military said it was suspending uranium exports to France and accused Paris of intending to restore the power of ousted President Bazum by military means.

French President Emmanuel Macron will not tolerate any attack on the country and its interests in Niger, and Paris will respond immediately and uncooperatively, Le Monde newspaper reported on July 30, citing a statement from the Elysee Palace.

Yet, more from regnum.ru
Niger rebels say they are preparing a foreign invasion of the country

The military authorities of Niger said that they were preparing a foreign invasion of the country, and decided to close the airspace. This was reported by Al-Arabiya TV channel.

The rebels did not say which state is planning to invade Niger.

The military council announced the closure of airspace.

It is assumed that this decision was made in connection with the expiration of the period after the statement of the leaders of the Economic Community of West African Countries, which stipulated that if President Bazum did not return to power within a week, military measures would be taken against the rebels.

Earlier, thousands of demonstrators in Niger rallied in the capital Niamey and expressed their support for the military authorities.

As IA Regnum reported , on the night of July 27, a group of military men in Niger announced a coup d'état and the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazum.

In Niger, the rebels who seized power want to denounce military agreements with France. They announced the termination of the powers of Niger's ambassadors to France, the United States, Nigeria and Togo.

Moscow is in favor of a speedy return of the situation in Niger to a constitutional course, spokesman for the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov said on August 4.

Yet, again, more from regnum.ru
Niger announces preparation of intervention by two countries of Central Africa

The two Central African states began to prepare forces for the invasion of Niger. This is stated in the communiqué of the National Council for the Salvation of the Motherland (NCSR), created by the rebels, the ANP news agency reported on August 7.

“In two countries of Central Africa, a preliminary transfer of forces has begun to participate in it,” the NSSR said in a statement.

The authors of the statement stressed that the intervention in Niger is planned, despite the fact that the population of this republic and the peoples of the countries that are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are against it. The NSSR also stated that every state that would conduct military operations on the territory of Niger would be considered a participant in the operation.

Earlier, ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the new authorities of Niger, demanding the reinstatement of deposed President Mohamed Bazum . Otherwise, the association threatened to use force. The ultimatum expired on 6 August.

At the same time, a senior military official from one of the ECOWAS countries told the Wall Street Journal that this community will need time to prepare forces for intervention in Niger.

The rebellion in Niger began on 27 July. Bazum was blocked by his own presidential guard, announcing a change of power. He, in turn, called on the United States to help restore power in the republic.

Yet, even more from regnum.ru
United States announced the lack of readiness of ECOWAS to send troops to Niger

The military from the countries of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) need more time to prepare the military contingent for entry into Niger. This was reported on August 7 by the Wall Street Journal .

“At the moment, we need to increase the number of our units before taking part in such hostilities,” a high-ranking commander of one of the ECOWAS countries told the publication.

He clarified that the success of any military action is directly related to good preparation.

Earlier, the rebels in Niger closed the airspace of the country after the ultimatum put forward by the ECOWAS countries. At the end of July, a military group in Niger announced a coup d'état in the country and the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazum.

After that, ECOWAS gave the rebels a week to return the ousted head of state to power, and also promised to use force to restore constitutional order.

Before that, the President of Niger, who was ousted from power, appealed to the United States with a call to restore the constitutional order in the country. He also called the events in the African state a tragedy.

Posted by badanov 2023-08-08 00:00|| || Front Page|| [13 views ] Top

🇳🇪🇺🇸 BREAKING: The revolutionary government of Niger has responded to the suspension of US aid by telling the US: “We don’t want your money, use it to fund a weight loss program for Victoria Nuland.” pic.twitter.com/fgCdN5eiMy
— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) August 8, 2023