NEW YORK: New prime minister of Niger has said that military leaders who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum during a July 26 coup will not do anything to harm the captive leader.
Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told the New York Times that nothing will happen to the ousted president as Niger has no tradition of violence.
Zeine in an interview from Dakar said the coup leaders had no intent of cooperating with Russia, or with the Kremlin-backed mercenaries of the Wagner group.
Niger denies any plans to collaborate Russia
Earlier there were reports that the coup leaders had cut off water and electricity to Bazoum’s house and threatened to kill him if other African countries take military action to restore him to power.
Zeine, who was appointed Niger’s prime minister on August 7, is a serious economist who had served as finance minister in a previous government.
Meanwhile, West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc on Thursday announced its plans of military action in Niger if diplomatic efforts to restore the democratic government will fail.
Niger’s military senior officers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and rejected all calls from the United Nations, ECOWAS and Western powers to reinstate him, forcing West African heads of state to order the assembly of emergency forces.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Abdel-Fatau Musah has that there should be no doubt that if all else fails, the brave forces of West Africa…are ready to answer the call to duty.
In Niger’s capital Niamey large crowds took part in protests against ECOWAS and in favor of the coup leaders. Protestors rejected the idea of outside intervention to restore an elected president and civilian rule.
ECOWAS has already imposed trade and financial sanctions on Niger after the military coup in the country on July 26.
Niger has played a key role in Western strategies to fight and combat jihadist insurgencies with the support of France and the United States.
