IN NIGER THE DEPOSITED PRESIDENT

COULD BE PROSECUTED FOR "HIGH TREASON"

“The Nigerien government has to date gathered” the “evidence to prosecute before the competent national and international authorities the deposed president and his local and foreign accomplices, for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger”, declared the Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, one of the members of the regime, in a press release read on national television.

Regarding the deposed president, the regime called for "questioning the sincerity of his claim to maintain that he is sequestered, even though the soldiers have never taken over his presidential residence and he still has all communication means".

The soldiers also ensure that Mohamed Bazoum "regularly receives visits from his doctor". According to an adviser to the overthrown president, a consultation took place on Saturday. "After this visit, the doctor did not raise any concerns about the state of health of the ousted president and his family members," the military added.

Mohamed Bazoum, held in his presidential residence since July 26 - the day of the coup - with his son and his wife, had declared in several media to be a "hostage", then deprived of electricity and forced to eat only rice and pasta.

Sanctions deemed "humiliating"

The regime resulting from the coup also criticizes the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, deemed "illegal, inhuman and humiliating". These sanctions were formulated at a summit of the regional organization on July 30, accompanied by a seven-day ultimatum aimed at restoring constitutional order , under penalty of coercive action.

These restrictive measures directly affect Niger, which depends economically and energetically on foreign partners. Indeed, the sanctions go so far as to deprive the country of essential imports such as pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and even electricity supply, the military deplored in their press release.

These statements come after the military regime welcomed a delegation of Nigerian Muslim religious leaders on Saturday, led with the agreement of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, also head of ECOWAS, to "ease the tensions created by the prospect of a military intervention" of the organization. The timetable and terms of a possible West African military intervention have not been disclosed.

But Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, whose country will contribute to this force, said Thursday that it should be able to intervene "as soon as possible". Several neighboring countries, including the giant Nigeria, Burkina and Mali, have however already rejected the principle of their participation in an armed intervention.

According to General Abdourahamane Tiani, quoted in the Nigerian mediation press release, the military overthrew President Bazoum "because of an imminent threat which would have affected not only the Republic of Niger, but also Nigeria". The new strongman of Niger had justified the coup d'etat by "the security deterioration" in the country, undermined by the violence of jihadist groups like Mali and neighboring Burkina, also led by soldiers and who showed their solidarity with Niamey.

Important anti-jihadist device

From Mauritania to Sudan, the jihadists have succeeded in scaring away all Westerners. However, Niger has so far been the pivot of the French anti-jihadist system in the Sahel, since the forced departure of the French soldiers from Mali in the summer of 2022. The French soldiers work regularly with the Nigerien army in the context of special operations .

The latest (communicated by the Ministry of the Armed Forces), was held in May 2023. An airborne operation to take control of a building near the Malian border, in the so-called "three borders" area, crucial and dangerous in the fight against jihadism. The United States also has security interests there, insisting, at all costs, on keeping its bases in the country.

In addition to security interests, France also has economic interests.

Niger has wealth in uranium, and it is precisely on these lands that the activity of Orano (formerly Areva), a mining group, owned by the French State, has been established over the years. In addition, Orano has been carrying out a large-scale project in the country for several years: the operation of the Imouraren site.

This large-scale project is based on meticulous studies and promises uranium reserves estimated at 174,000 tons, allowing a lifespan of this mining site of approximately 43 years. During the period extending from 2005 to 2020 , Niger occupied the rank of third supplier of uranium to France, contributing up to 19% of its supplies in this material, thus placing itself behind Kazakhstan and Australia, according to data from the Euratom technical committee.

In this political imbroglio, each country plays its part, the United States for their part trying to prevent the junta from getting too close to the Burkinabé and Malian juntas, but also to the Wagner society, and therefore to Russia...