The United Nations, on Friday, announced its efforts to establish communication with the leaders of the Niger coup, who had recently hindered UN agencies and other organizations from functioning in military ‘operation zones.’
‘We’ve seen the reports. We are reaching out to the de facto authorities in Niger to better understand what this means and the implications for the humanitarian work,’ UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci informed reporters in Geneva.
While not specifying the affected regions, the announcement attributed the measures to the ‘current security situation.’
‘All activities and or movements in the zones of operations are temporarily suspended,’ it said.
Niger’s new military leadership came to power through a coup on July 26, when troops successfully ousted President Mohamed Bazoum from office.
One of the reasons they cited for deposing the democratically-elected leader was the severe security crisis in the landlocked former French colony situated in the heart of the Sahel.
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Niger confronts dual jihadist insurgencies, with one emanating from a protracted conflict in neighbouring Nigeria and affecting the southeastern region, while the other involves an offensive in the southwest by militants crossing over from Mali and Burkina Faso.
Even after the coup, the attacks have continued, and earlier this week, the UN refugee agency disclosed that more than 20,000 individuals had been displaced in the last month alone due to such violence.
The country has more than 710,000 people already displaced, including displaced Nigeriens refugees and asylum seekers from neighbouring countries.
The UN’s International Organization for Migration raised concerns about overcrowding in the migrant transit centres it manages in Niger on Friday.
According to the organization, more than 1,400 people, primarily hailing from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, and Nigeria, were stranded outside the overcrowded centres, awaiting assistance.
Urging immediate action, the IOM is appealing for the establishment of humanitarian corridors that would facilitate the return of people to their home countries, thereby lessening the burden on the centres.