WASHINGTON: New US envoy to Niger Kathleen Fitzgibbon has arrived in Niamey, but will not officially present her credentials to the new military rulers due to the “current political crisis,” US officials said on Saturday.
In a statement, the US State Department said Kathleen Fitzgibbon has travelled to Niger to lead their diplomatic mission in the county. It added that the new envoy will help to solve the current political crisis in Niger.
New US Ambassador Arrives in Niger
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Fitzgibbon’s arrival in Niamey “does not reflect a change” in Washington’s policy stance but responds to the need for senior leadership of their mission at a critical time.
Similarly, Niger’s Junta said Saturday that a transition of authority would not go beyond 3-year and also warned that any assault on the African nation would not be easy for those involved.
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“Our desire is not to seize power,” Military General Abdourahamane Tiani said in a TV address, saying that an assault on the country would not be “a walk in the park”. His warning and remarks came as a high-level delegation from ECOWAS also arrived in Niger for a final diplomatic attempt before deciding on whether or not to take military action.
Washington has also been pressing for a diplomatic solution of the political crisis that erupted on July 26 when the Niger army seized power, sacked President Bazoum and placed him and his family under house arrest.
