Former President Mohamed Bazoum may face high treason charges, the junta that took control of Niger in a coup on July 26 warned on Sunday.
West African nations have denounced the coup leaders’ imprisonment of Bazoum and dissolution of the elected government and have activated a military force that is on readiness to step in and restore Bazoum.
Speaking on state television, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a junta spokesperson, claimed that the group had “collected the critical elements to prosecute the ousted president… for high treason and compromising the internal and foreign security of Niger.”
The junta has indicated a probable desire to find a diplomatic solution to the deadlock over the coup, and the main regional bloc of West Africa, ECOWAS, is anticipated to press for additional discussions with the junta on Monday.
On Saturday, the parliament of the group declared its intention to send a committee to meet with the junta in Niamey. It was not immediately clear when this mission would be suggested.
As a sign of the level of worry about the potential effects of the eighth coup in three years in West and Central Africa, the 55-nation African Union’s Peace and Security Council is also scheduled to convene on Monday to examine the situation in Niger.
Not only is Niger’s future at risk—a significant uranium producer and ally of the West in the struggle against an Islamist insurgency—but also the influence of rival global powers with territorial ambitions in the area.
