July 30, (THEWILL) – The African Union (AU) has ordered the military junta in Niger to “return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority” within 15 days.
Soldiers from the Presidential Guard have detained President Mohamed Bazoum in the presidential palace since Wednesday and announced that they had removed him from power.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who staged the coup, declared himself head of the Government of Niger Republic and suspended the Constitution.
International pressure has been growing on the coup leaders to release the president and restore constitutional order. But the military has warned of “consequences that will follow any foreign military intervention.”
But the AU’s Peace and Security Council in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting Friday, on the Niger coup, “demands the military personnel to immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum period of 15 days”.
The European Union on Saturday, said it would not recognise the military junta and had suspended its financial support and cooperation on security with Niger with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the United States said it would ensure the full restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
In a phone call late on Friday, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, assured the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, of the United States’ “unflagging support”.
The White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said Washington condemned any effort to seize power by force, warning a military takeover could cause the US to stop security and other cooperation with Niger.
Also, the UN Security Council, on Friday, condemned the unconstitutional change of power in Niger and called for Bazoum’s immediate release.
