2023-08-14 20:30:00
15 August 2023, 02:00 AM IST
The Niger crisis
Niamey: Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Basoume will be tried on charges of treason and endangering national security, the military junta announced late on Sunday night. The announcement comes hours after the West African countries agreed to negotiate with ECOWAS (Economic Cooperation of West African States) to resolve the crisis in Niger.
If found guilty, Basoom could face the death penalty. Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, the spokesman for the military junta, said that evidence has been gathered to prosecute Basoum and his associates at home and abroad for treason and jeopardizing the security of Niger. However, the details, circumstances and trial date of the allegation against Basum have not been disclosed.
President Basoom, who came to power democratically, was ousted by the military on July 26. Since then he has been under house arrest along with his wife and son. Basum’s party members said that they are not getting electricity and water and are running out of food. However, the military administration said that there is no truth in this information. Politicians in West African countries and their international partners have been accused of spreading fake news.
ECOWAS had given the army six months to recapture Basoom. If not appointed before then, there will be military action in Niger. But not yet.
After that, the military administration on Sunday told Islamic scholars who had come from Nigeria for mediation that they were ready to negotiate with ECOWAS. The willingness to negotiate was assessed as a result of the pressure exerted by ECOWAS through the imposition of severe economic and travel sanctions.
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