Poor treatment of ousted president unacceptable, African Union tells Niger coup plotters
The African Union says it is deeply concerned by the reported poor conditions of Niger’s ousted leader, Mohamed Bazoum who is still under detention since when he was removed from power in a military coup by a group of soldiers.
The AU noted that the treatment of a democratically elected president at the hands of the military officers is “unacceptable”.
In a statement, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the AU Commission chairperson, urged the coup plotters to urgently end the escalation of ties with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS.
Moussa Faki Mahamat further demanded the immediate release of Mr Bazoum while appealing to the international community to “unite efforts to save [his] moral and physical integrity”.
The US and UN have also raised concerns about the health and safety of Mr Bazoum, who was reported to be running out of food.
In a statement, the US said it would hold the Abdourahmane Tchiani-led junta accountable for the safety of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, his family, and detained members of the government.
To deter the junta from making the coup a complete success, the ECOWAS leaders met in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja on Thursday and agreed on plans to deploy a “standby” military force.
The coup leaders have warned that they would harm Mr Bazoum and also defend themselves against any intervention by the regional bloc, according to The Associated Press.
