US Envoy Meets Niger Coup Leaders, No Progress
The second-ranking US diplomat met with Niger’s military commanders on Monday to reverse a coup but reported no progress a day after Ecowas’ ultimatum was disregarded.
Victoria Nuland, a veteran envoy and acting deputy secretary of state, stated that she conferred with the military chiefs who ousted the democratically elected Western ally Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 for more than two hours.
Nuland’s trip, which was conducted in secret until she departed, followed the expiration of an Ecowas deadline to reinstate Bazoum by Sunday at midnight (2300 GMT) or risk military intervention.
The 15-nation bloc is reconvening Thursday in the Nigerian capital Abuja for its diplomatic drive on the crisis.
A source close to Ecowas has stated that an urgent military intervention to restore Bazoum is not being considered at this time and that the path to dialogue remains open.
Before departing, Nuland characterized her conversations with reporters as “extremely candid and at times quite difficult.” She stated that she offered the coup leaders “several options” to end the crisis and restore relations with the United States, which has suspended aid along with other Western nations. She stated, “I would not say that we accepted that offer in any way.”
She added that the coup leaders did not respond to her requests to meet the self-proclaimed new leader of Niger, General Abdourahamane Tiani, or the detained elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, although US officials have been in telephone contact with Bazoum.
Nuland stated that she met Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou, who has been appointed as the new military chief of staff and who has worked closely with the United States in the past. The United States, along with erstwhile colonial power France, has conducted anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel from Niger.
Nuland stated that she cautioned Niger against sending in Russian Wagner mercenaries like its neighbor Mali.
Nuland stated that she met Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou, who has been appointed as the new military chief of staff and who has worked closely with the United States in the past. The United States, along with erstwhile colonial power France, has conducted anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel from Niger.
Nuland stated that she cautioned Niger against sending in Russian Wagner mercenaries like its neighbor Mali. Nuland, who is known for her hawkish posture toward Russia, stated, “The people who have taken this action here are well aware of the risks to their sovereignty if Wagner is invited in.”
Diplomacy is ‘preferred’.
Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the international community must find a diplomatic solution to the rebellion. He told French Radio RFI that diplomacy was the preferred method for resolving the situation.
“This is the contemporary approach of Ecowas. This is our strategy.” The neighbors of Niger have categorically condemned the idea of regional military intervention. Mali and Burkina Faso, both suspended from ECOWAS due to their military coups, will send a joint official delegation to Niamey to demonstrate “solidarity (with) the people of Niger” According to them, military intervention would be equivalent to declaring war.
Algeria, which shares a long land border with Niger, has also warned against a military solution, which Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune called “a direct threat” to his North African nation. Regional powerhouse Nigerian senators urged everyone to prioritize the “political and diplomatic option.”
More envoys to arrive
Just before the expiration of the ultimatum on Sunday, Niger’s military authorities closed the Sahel nation’s airspace and warned that any attempt to enter would be met with a “vigorous and prompt response.”
They stated, without naming the countries, that there had been a “pre-deployment in preparation for intervention” by two Central African nations and warned, “Any state involved will be considered a co-belligerent.”
Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told French broadcaster TV5 Monde on Monday that after an abortive first attempt, Niger’s military rulers urged an Ecowas delegation to return for more talks.
In his interview, Mahamadou stated that Bazoum, along with his wife and son, was being held in deteriorating conditions. “The junta has requested that the Ecowas delegation return,” and its members “will likely arrive in Niamey today or tomorrow,” Mahamadou said.
A delegation from Ecowas arrived in the capital city of Niamey on Thursday but did not remain overnight as planned. It fell short of both Bazoum and Tiani.
Leonardo Santos Simao, the UN Secretary-General’s representative for West Africa and the Sahel, was also in Abuja to discuss the crisis.
France, with whom Niger’s new authorities have severed military ties, stated that it would “firmly” support any action taken by Ecowas after the deadline expired.
On Monday, the military authorities appointed Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, the former minister of finance, as the new prime minister and Habibou Assoumane as the new commander of the presidential guard.
The revolt in Niger is the most recent in the Sahel region of Africa since 2020. Since 2012, France and the United States have stationed approximately 1,500 and 1,000 soldiers in Niger, respectively, to combat the jihadist insurgencies that have plagued the Sahel.
US Envoy Meets Niger Coup Leaders, No Progress
