🇳🇪 West Africa defence chiefs to meet Wednesday to discuss Niger coup

Military chiefs from West Africa's regional bloc, Ecowas, are meeting later on Wednesday in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, to discuss the military coup that took place in Niger last week.

The bloc previously warned it was giving Niger's new rulers a week to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum before it considered the use of force.

#Niger

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🇳🇪 Niger's Prime Minister asks for international support to restore democracy

Niger Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, who has been stuck outside the country since last week’s coup, appealed to the international community on Tuesday to help his country restore democracy.

Speaking to The Associated Press in Paris, Mahamadou said that Niger should be considered crucial for strengthening democracy in West Africa and protecting countries to the south “against the spread of terrorism.”

“Niger is a key country in terms of security for the rest of Africa, but also for the rest of the world,” he stressed.

#Niger

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⚡️🇳🇪 West African bloc sends mission to Niger to negotiate with coup leaders

West African regional bloc ECOWAS sent a delegation to Niger on Wednesday to negotiate with the military officers who seized power in last week's coup, while regional defence chiefs met in neighbouring Nigeria.

"The military option is the very last option on the table, the last resort, but we have to prepare for the eventuality," said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner. "There is a need to demonstrate that we cannot only bark but can bite," he told.

The delegation to Niger is being led by former Nigerian military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, who arrived on Wednesday to start talks with the junta, Musah said.

As it seems, the situation with Mali repeats itself, when ECOWAS threatened Mali's military government, but didn't do anything in the end, except for sanctions that also haven't done any severe damage.

#Niger

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⚡️🇳🇪🇲🇱 Niger military delegation arrives in Mali capital

General Salifou Mody, one of the officers who seized power in Niger last week, arrived on Wednesday in neighbouring Mali, whose junta has supported the coup leaders in the face of international pressure.

Mody, a former army chief of staff who had been fired in April, arrived in the capital Bamako at the head of a delegation, a senior Nigerien official and a Malian security official told.

#Niger #Mali

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🇳🇪🇫🇷 France 24 Sahel journalist Wassim Nasr writes that Modi's delegation to Bamako came to ask for the immediate deployment of Wagner PMC in Niamey.

However, as of now, there is no clear confirmation of this information, as well as the connection between Wagner and the military coup leaders in Niger, as the French media likes to write about.

#Niger #France

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🇮🇳🇿🇦🧱 India's Modi unlikely to travel to South Africa for BRICS summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be a virtual participant at a summit of BRICS nations in South Africa later this month rather than attend in person.

The foreign ministry declined to comment, while the prime minister's office did not respond when asked if Modi would be travelling to Johannesburg for the August 22-24 summit of leaders from a bloc that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already decided that he will be a virtual participant.

China and Russia are keen to discuss expansion of BRICS at the summit, while India has reservations about that idea.

#India #SouthAfrica #BRICS

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🇷🇺🇳🇪 Russian Foreign Ministry no longer condemns the coup in Niger

Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova said that Russia considers it important not to allow further degradation of the situation in Niger, which can be resolved only through national dialog.

"We trust that vigorous, mediatory efforts will be made to help the society of Niger to overcome the crisis through the African Union and sub-regional organizations. We express the hope that the people of Niger will be able to successfully overcome this difficult period in their history. We aim to further develop the whole range of mutually beneficial bilateral ties," added Zakharova.

These words indicate the U-turn in Russian rhetoric regarding the coup in Niger. This change probably reveals Russian Federation plans to support new Niger military government, like it was in the case of Mali and Burkina Faso.

#Russia #Niger

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🇺🇸🇳🇪 US prepares to evacuate some embassy staff, families from Niger

The United States is set to evacuate some staff and families from its embassy in Niger after military officers seized power, a U.S. official said on Wednesday, even as the mission will remain open and senior leadership will continue working from there.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a final decision was still pending but it appeared likely.

"This is a prudent move in case the security situation deteriorates, and the core embassy staff will remain," the official said. The official added that the U.S. personnel would be moved out of Niger by aircraft chartered by the State Department.

#USA #Niger

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🇷🇼 Kagame appoints daughter to key post in his office

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has appointed his daughter to a key position in his office.

Ange Kagame, 29, has been made the deputy executive director in charge of the strategy and policy council, according to a statement of a cabinet meeting chaired by Paul Kagame on Tuesday. The statement also announced other appointments including new ambassadors to Ethiopia, Morocco, Egypt and Guinea.

Ange Kagame has been working in the president’s office as a senior policy analyst since 2019 and holds political science and international affairs degrees from US universities. Two of President Kagame’s other children also hold positions in government.

#Rwanda

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🇿🇦🇷🇺 Jacob Zuma back in South Africa after Russian medical trip

South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma has returned from Russia where he has been receiving medical treatment. “The check-up and observations went well,” his foundation said in a statement.

His trip came after he lost a case last month at the Constitutional Court, where he had tried to overturn a ruling that he must return to prison. The Constitutional Court ruled that Zuma had been granted medical parole unlawfully.

The prisons department has now given the 81-year-old until Friday to submit reasons why he should not serve out the rest of his 15-month sentence.

#SouthAfrica #Russia

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🇸🇳 Protests persist in Senegal after Sonko crackdown

Senegal's interior ministry says it is taking measures to "preserve peace and tranquillity" as opposition protests are still happening in some parts of the country.

Small protests are still happening in the capital, Dakar, and in Ziguinchor, a city where the opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is the mayor.

The latest protests were triggered by the arrest of Sonko over the weekend and the dissolution of his party. He remains in custody and on Sunday began a hunger strike.

On Monday, Interior Minister announced that the government had dissolved Sonko’s Patriots of Senegal (Pastef) party for inciting unrest during violent protests last month in Dakar. Pastef says the Senegal's stability "is now compromised, because the people will never accept this ultimate forfeiture of power against 'the favourite'".

#Senegal

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💰🇳🇪 World Bank pauses disbursements for Niger operations except private partnerships

The World Bank on Wednesday said it was "alarmed" by efforts to overthrow the democratically elected government in Niger and had suspended disbursements in the country until further notice, except for private-sector partnerships.

"In response, the World Bank has paused disbursements for all operations until further notice other than private sector partnerships which will continue with caution," the World Bank said in a statement.

The World Bank said it would continue monitoring the situation.

#Niger

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