Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum will be charged with high treason by the military junta that took control in Niger in a coup the previous month. The junta said this is because of the former president's interactions with foreign heads of state and international organizations.
After a worldwide protest over the coup leaders' decision to jail Bazoum and dissolve the elected government, neighboring West African nations organized a standby military force that may intervene to reinstate Bazoum.
Legal Action Against the Former President
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for the junta, issued a statement late Sunday, August 13, that was shown on state TV, saying that the government had "gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute the ousted president ... for high treason and undermining the internal and external security of Niger."
According to Reuters, Abdramane said that the junta was the target of a disinformation campaign designed to sabotage efforts to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the situation and provide cover for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to intervene forcefully.
The circumstances in which Bazoum is being held have been expressed concern by the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and the United Nations.
His political party that Bazoum's family lacks basic necessities, including clean water and nutritious food. It is also said that Bazoum told Human Rights Watch that his son required medical attention for a heart issue.
Last week, Bazoum's daughter Zazia reported the deposed leader and family are being held in horrific conditions by the military. The military has cut electricity to the presidential mansion, causing the family to lose weight as food rots in the fridge.
On Sunday, however, the junta claimed that Bazoum was still visiting his doctor frequently, with his most recent appointment being on Saturday, August 12. "After this visit, the doctor raised no concerns about the state of health of the ousted president and members of his family."
Fresh Discussions With the Junta
ECOWAS, West Africa's largest regional organization, is set to press for fresh discussions with the junta on Monday, as the junta has shown some signs of being open to finding a diplomatic resolution to the deadlock over the coup.
On Saturday, the parliament of the group said that it hoped to send a commission to speak with the junta in Niamey, but the precise timetable of this trip remains unclear.
Concern about the likely consequences of the coup has prompted a meeting of the Peace and Security Council of the 55-nation African Union on Monday to review the situation in Niger.
