A senior U.S. diplomat said coup leaders in Niger refused to allow her to meet Monday with the West African country's democratically elected president, whom she described as under 'virtual house arrest.'
A senior U.S. diplomat said coup leaders in Niger refused to allow her to meet Monday with the West African country's democratically elected president, whom she described as under "virtual house arrest."
If the U.S. determines that a democratically elected government has been toppled by unconstitutional means, federal law requires a cutoff of most American assistance, particularly military aid. Meanwhile, the junta's mutinous soldiers closed the country's airspace and accused foreign powers of preparing an attack.
The coup toppled Bazoum, whose ascendancy was Niger's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France in 1960. The coup also raised questions about the future of the fight against extremism in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence.
It was not immediately clear what ECOWAS leaders will do now. The region is divided on a course of action. There was no sign of military forces gathering at Niger's border with Nigeria, the likely entry point by land. However, Nuland indicated that coup leaders did not seem receptive to welcoming Wagner mercenaries into the country, as has happened with several surrounding unstable West African countries.
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