‘Very Difficult Situation’: Coup Leaders Stonewall US Diplomat As War Risk Looms Over Nation
Jake Smith on August 8, 2023
Military coup leaders in Niger refused to let a high-level U.S. diplomat meet with the African country’s ousted president, The Associated Press reported on Tuesday.
Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said she was not allowed to meet with Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, during negotiations with the country’s military coup leaders, the AP reported. Nuland also said that coup leaders were apathetic to U.S. requests to reinstall Bazoum to power, despite warnings that Niger will be cut off from U.S. aid if he is not.
“I will say that these conversations were extremely frank and at times quite difficult because, again, we were pushing for a negotiated solution,” Nuland said during a Monday press conference. “It was not easy to get traction there. They are quite firm in their view on how they want to proceed, and it does not comport with the constitution of Niger.”
Nuland described Bazoum as under “virtual house arrest” and said coup leaders refused requests to meet with him and ensure his wellbeing.
“We asked before we arrived and throughout the day for an opportunity to meet with President Bazoum to get his perspective directly – we’ve talked to him on the phone, but we haven’t seen him – and that was never granted,” Nuland said. “We also asked for some gestures of health and welfare; he is in a very difficult situation under virtual house arrest, along with his son and his wife.”
“Obviously, we are at the stage where our assistance is paused… So we’ll be watching the situation, but we understand our legal responsibilities and I explained those very clearly to the guys who were responsible for this and that it is not our desire to go there, but they may push us to that point,” said Nuland.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will deliberate Thursday on how to handle Niger’s military coup after coup leaders ignored ECOWAS’ Sunday deadline to restore Bazoum to power. ECOWAS could launch an invasion into Niger if leadership isn’t shifted back to Bazoum, which would provoke a mass conflict between multiple countries for the first time in decades.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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