United States: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has called for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in a military coup on Friday. General Abdourahamane Tchiani is the new president of Niger after the seventh military takeover of this west African nation. Secretary Blinken said he had spoken with the ousted president on phone but gave no details.
‘Aid in jeopardy’
The United States considers Niger as one of its most important allies in the west African region. Washington has trained hundreds of Niger’s troops to fight jihadist forces in the west African region. Blinken said aid worth hundreds of millions of dollars is in jeopardy after the coup in Niger. He told reporters in Brisbane, Australia, that aid would be resumed only after democracy is restored in the west African country. “So that assistance is in clear jeopardy as a result of these actions, which is another reason why they need to be immediately reversed,” he said to the media in Australia. There has been now word from Bazuma since Thursday when he vowed to protect “hard-won” democratic gains in his country.
‘Interference would lead to chaos’
Tchiani was the head of the presidential guard since 2011. He appeared on television on Friday saying he was the new “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland”. Tchiani also warned that any foreign interference in Niger would lead to chaos. The general, who has kept out of public life, linked the coup to a degradation of the security situation in Niger due to jihadist violence. Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council has also condemned the overthrow of the Bazuma government. In a statement issued on Friday, the UN decried “the efforts to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government”. The Guardian reports there are more than 1,000 US troops in Niger. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin is monitoring the situation.
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER
