Late on August 13, military authorities in the Niger Republic promised to try overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason" while denouncing sanctions placed on the nation by West African governments.continue reading
In response to the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) placed sanctions on Niger and has not ruled out employing force to oust the military that on July 26 overthrew the democratically elected Bazoum.
Since the coup, Bazoum, 63, and his family have been kept at the president's official Niamey mansion, raising concerns about his incarceration conditions around the world.
Although ECOWAS has given the go-ahead for the quick deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger, it is still committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to the problem.
According to a statement read out on national television on Sunday by Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, Niger's military authorities announced they will prosecute Bazoum "for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger".
They added that the sanctions placed on Niger were "illegal, inhumane, and humiliating" and had made it difficult for people to acquire food, medicine, and electricity.
President Bola Tinubu, chairman of ECOWAS, has taken a stern position against the coup, which is the sixth to take place in an ECOWAS member state since 2020.
The union has cut off energy and financial services and closed its borders with landlocked Niger, preventing one of the world's poorest nations from receiving imports that are desperately needed.