Niger's military junta says it is severing military agreements with France, its former colonial ruler, firing some of the previous government's key ambassadors and warning citizens of the West African nation to watch for foreign armies and spies. A regional delegation's efforts at negotiation quickly deadlocked.
The junta's announcement on state television late Thursday deepens the post-coup isolation for what had been the United States' and allies' last major security partner in the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert that various Islamic extremist groups have turned into the global center of terrorism.
"All aggression or attempt at aggression against the state of Niger will see an immediate response and without warning," said a spokesman for the coup leaders, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, with the exception of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, which have expressed support for the coup. Mali and Burkina Faso have said such an intervention would be a declaration of war against them.
"In our hour of need, I call on the U.S. government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order," he wrote. "We are following this situation very carefully," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Of course, we are concerned about the tension that is now emerging in the region, and, as before, we stand for the speedy return of this situation to the constitutional track without any damage, without a threat, most importantly, to human lives."
The ECOWAS delegation was led by former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. A second group led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe has gone to engage with the leaders of neighbouring Libya and Algeria, said Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to Nigeria's president.Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
"If ECOWAS has an army it could mobilize 1,000 soldiers per country ... 15,000 soldiers. If ECOWAS was serious, why didn't it consider mobilizing 15,000 soldiers to help Mali, Burkina and Niger, which are undergoing insecurity?" said Annassa Djibrilla, president of the Dynamic Citizen activist group.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ottawa monitoring Niger unrest, no Canadian evacuation currently planned for hundredsOttawa is monitoring the unrest in Niger following last week's military coup, but has no imminent plans for evacuating the hundreds of Canadians in the West African country.
Read more »
Ottawa monitoring Niger unrest, no Canadian evacuation currently planned for hundredsOttawa is monitoring the unrest in Niger following last week's military coup, but has no imminent plans for evacuating the hundreds of Canadians in the West African country.
Read more »
Niger's civil society mobilizes the nation to fight for freedom from foreign interferenceNiger 's ruling junta and civil society groups called on the nation to mobilize in the capital on Thursday to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference.
Read more »
Niger’s military leaders shore up support as hundreds rally in the capital - National | Globalnews.caThe coup has been strongly condemned by Western countries and the West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force.
Read more »
Hundreds rally in Niger, denouncing France, as the country's new junta seeks to justify its coupHundreds of people rallied in support of Niger's ruling junta in the capital on Thursday, denouncing France and others who have criticized a recent coup -- as the country's military leaders sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment to shore up their takeover.
Read more »