US President Joe Biden on Thursday nudged authorities in Niger to release the elected President Mohamed Bazoum without delay while stressing the importance of maintaining the integrity of the nation’s democracy.
‘I call for President Bazoum and his family to be immediately released, and for the preservation of Niger’s hard-earned democracy,’ Biden said in a statement Thursday, the 63rd anniversary of Niger’s independence.
‘In this critical moment, the United States stands with the people of Niger to honour our decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and support for civilian-led governance,’ he said.
President Bazoum, aged 63, faced a coup orchestrated by his own guard a week ago, an act that garnered condemnation from the United States, European nations, and the United Nations.
‘The Nigerien people have the right to choose their leaders,’ Biden said. ‘They have expressed their will through free and fair elections — and that must be respected.’
Read also: Niger’s President, Mohamed Bazoum Vows To Defend Democracy
Bazoum’s 2021 electoral triumph was a significant milestone as it heralded Niger’s initial peaceful transition of power, earning him recognition and praise.
Upon assuming leadership, he faced the daunting task of governing a nation that had endured four previous coups since gaining independence from France in 1960.
ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, set a time-sensitive ultimatum on Sunday, demanding that the coup leaders reinstate Bazoum to power within a week, or else they might face the ‘last resort’ of military intervention.
Amidst the crisis, objections have arisen from various African countries, including Burkina Faso and Mali, with concerns that the ECOWAS bloc’s potential military intervention will force its army to escalate the situation into a devastating war in the region.
The ECOWAS, in its bid to thwart the coup and deal with the orchestrators, resorted to sanctions against Niger, encompassing economic measures, expulsion of Niger Republic from the ECOWAS bloc, and cutting off electricity distribution to the country grappling with the crisis.