According to The Associated Press, the Niger junta has threatened to assassinate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum if the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attempts any military intervention to reinstate his administration.
A Western military officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter stated that the junta officials informed U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat against Bazoum during her visit to the nation this week.
According to AP, a U.S. official who spoke to the media under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to do so confirmed that account.
According to Bazoum, who was removed from office on July 26, he is being held captive at home.
Following the coup, the regional ECOWAS bloc announced on Thursday that it has ordered the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger. It did not, however, provide information regarding the composition, deployment site, or projected date of any military intervention force.
The leaders of the West African group of nations convened on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria.
When asked for clarification, ECOWAS commission president Omar Alieu Touray said he could only reiterate the choices made by “the military authorities in the subregion to deploy a standby force of the community.”
“Appropriate measures have been taken,” he said, adding that financing had been addressed.
The Witness Nigeria