AU escalates pressure on Niger’s coup leaders, as EU stops support

The European Union has said it is suspending financial support and cooperation on security with Niger following this week’s military coup, as the African Union called on the coup’s military leaders to return to their barracks.

Aside from the suspension of financial support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement on Saturday.

Recall that the commander of Niger’s presidential guard General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Friday declared himself the head of a transitional government after his soldiers took President Mohamed Bazoum into custody on Wednesday.

“In addition to the immediate cessation of budget support, all cooperation actions in the domain of security are suspended indefinitely with immediate effect,” EU’s Borrell said.

According to its website, the EU has allocated 503 million euros ($554m) from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over the 2021-2024 period.

EU declared that Bazoum “remains the only legitimate president of Niger”, and called for his immediate release and for holding the coup leaders to account for the safety of the president and his family.

Borrell said the EU was ready to support future decisions taken by West Africa’s regional bloc, “including the adoption of sanctions”.

Meanwhile, the African Union also demanded the military in Niger to “return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority” within 15 days since it grabbed power.

The AU’s Peace and Security Council “demands the military personnel to immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum period of fifteen (15) days”, it said in a communique following a meeting Friday on the Niger coup.

Earlier, the United States’ top diplomat also offered his “unflagging support” to Niger’s overthrown leader, warning his captors that hundreds of millions of dollars of assistance could be at risk if democratic norms were not restored.