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Deposed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum could face treason prices, the junta that deposed him final month introduced, marking a brand new escalation in tensions with neighboring nations which are pondering navy motion in opposition to the coup leaders.
A navy intervention would put tons of of Western troopers, together with U.S. and French troops who’re based mostly in Niger to help in combating regional militant teams, prone to being caught within the center.
In his assertion Sunday night time, the junta spokesman, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane accused Bazoum of “excessive treason” and of “undermining the inner and exterior safety of Niger” — prices that would carry the dying penalty.
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Abdramane mentioned the gathered “mandatory proof” may very well be used to prosecute Bazoum “earlier than competent nationwide and worldwide authorities.”
The Related Press reported final week that Niger’s junta has in non-public conversations with Western officers threatened to kill Bazoum, who’s being held in a basement of his residence, within the occasion of a navy intervention.
Within the instant aftermath of the coup, the leaders of ECOWAS, a regional bloc of nations, had imposed a deadline on the Nigerien junta, giving it one week to revive Bazoum to workplace. However that deadline handed final week with no indicators of navy motion.
ECOWAS reiterated its warnings after an emergency summit final Thursday, saying that the bloc was mobilizing a standby navy power, however it didn’t present a timeline or specifics for a potential navy intervention.
In the meantime, the navy junta named a brand new authorities final week and staged rallies in reveals of defiance.
Skeptics of navy motion have identified that two of Niger’s neighbors, Mali and Burkina Faso, may help the Nigerien junta if ECOWAS had been to ship troops.
Solely hours earlier than the potential prices in opposition to Bazoum had been introduced on Sunday night time, a non secular delegation visiting from neighboring Nigeria put out a press release that raised hopes for de-escalation, saying that the navy junta had proven a willingness to interact diplomatically.