The export of uranium and gold to France this Sunday has just been temporarily halted by the Niger Republic.
According to reports, protesters in Niger applauded the coup by burning a French flag and yelling “Down with France!”
“We have uranium, diamonds, gold, oil, and we live like slaves? We don’t need the French to keep us safe, ” one said.
The military in the Niger Republic has been given a seven-day deadline by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to reinstate ousted President Muhammed Bazoum while the border between Niger and all other member states remains blocked.
After his soldiers detained President Mohamed Bazoum on Wednesday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the chief of Niger’s presidential guard, declared himself the head of a transitional government on Friday.
“In addition to the immediate cessation of budget 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.
According to its website, the EU has allocated 503 million euros from its budget to improve governance, education and sustainable growth in Niger over the 2021-2024 period.
Borrell’s statement also said 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”.
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.
