NIAMEY/ABUJA, (Reuters) – West African nations imposed economic and travel sanctions on Niger’s new military leaders today, threatening to use force if they fail to reinstate ousted President Mohammed Bazoum within a week.
The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc’s response to the Sahel region’s seventh coup of recent years came as pro-junta supporters in Niger’s capital Niamey burned French flags and stoned the former colonial power’s embassy, drawing tear gas from police.
Images showed fires at the walls of the French Embassy and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs.
At an emergency summit in Nigeria to discuss the coup last week, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States called for the constitutional order to be fully restored, warning of reprisals if not.
“Such measures may include the use of force,” their communique said, adding that defence officials would meet immediately to that effect.
ECOWAS and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union also said that with immediate effect borders with Niger would be closed, commercial flights banned, financial transactions halted, national assets frozen and aid ended.
Military officials involved in the coup would be banned from travelling and have their assets frozen, it added.
Similar sanctions were imposed by ECOWAS on Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea following coups in those countries in the past three years. Although the financial sanctions led to defaults on debt – in Mali in particular – it only made the juntas agree to timelines to return to constitutional rule.
The military coup in Niger, which began unfolding on Wednesday, has been widely condemned by neighbours and international partners including the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and former colonial power France.
They have all refused to recognise the new leaders led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank.
The United States, France, Italy and Germany have troops there on military training and missions to fight Islamist insurgents. Niger is also the world’s seventh-biggest producer of uranium, the radioactive metal widely used for nuclear energy and in nuclear weapons, as well as for treating cancer.
ANTI-FRENCH PROTESTS
Ahead of the ECOWAS summit, the military leaders warned against any military intervention.
“The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain Western countries,” junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.
“We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland.”
At their invitation, thousands of people rallied in the capital on Sunday, particularly targeting the French Embassy.
“We are here to express our discontent against France’s interference in Niger’s affairs. Niger is an independent and sovereign country, so France’s decisions have no influence on us,” said protester Sani Idrissa.
After gathering in a public square in central Niamey, some headed to the diplomatic mission.
“Down with France!” “France Out!” read placards they held.
Similar to events in neighbouring Burkina Faso in September last year following a coup, some protesters tried to climb the walls of the embassy, while others stomped on burning French flags. Some youths threw stones at the embassy building before the protesters were dispersed by Niger national guard.
France condemned the violence.
“Anyone who attacks French nationals, the military, diplomats, or French interests will spur an immediate and uncompromising response from France,” the Elysee said in a statement.
The Niger military rulers later asked protesters to abstain from vandalism and destruction of property.
The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same.
Sunday’s ECOWAS communique thanked nations in line with the bloc’s stance but “condemned the pronouncement of support by foreign governments and foreign private military contractors.”
Russia’s Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who remains active despite leading a failed mutiny against the Russian army’s top brass last month, has hailed the coup as good news and offered his fighters’ services to bring order.