Niger military dares ECOWAS, threatens to assassinate Bazoum

The military regime in Niger Republic had dared leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) over their resolution at the Abuja Summit on Thursday to deploy troops to Niger to confront the regime and restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The military regime was said to have threatened to assassinate President Bazoum as ECOWAS deploys troops into the country.

Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum

National Daily Newspaper gathered The Associated Press had on Thursday, reported that two “Western officials” said the putschists issued the threat while speaking to a top U.S. diplomat.

The AP was said to have revealed that a Western military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, said representatives of the junta told U.S. Under Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country this week.

Speaking after leaders from nine countries of the 15-member states of the ECOWAS, at the 2nd Extraordinary Session of the sub-regional body in Abuja on Thursday, President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, had reaffirmed the decisions by “the military authorities in the sub-region to deploy a standby force of the community.”

He added that financing had been discussed and “appropriate measures have been taken.”
Omar Alieu Touray maintained that “It is not one country against another country. The community has instruments to which all members have subscribed to.”