RFI: UN officials meet with rebels in Niger

According to radio station RFI, a delegation of the UN Mission led by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel held a meeting with the military who came to power in Niger.

According to the station, the prime minister appointed by the military received the delegation. The meeting was held in his office in the presence of the Minister of Defense and the head of the interior.

According to RFI, in lengthy negotiations, the rebels condemned the economic sanctions that were imposed on Niger, calling them illegal and inhumane. They also told the UN officials that President Mohamed Bazum, whom they removed, is being kept in good conditions and is receiving the necessary food. The rebels also accused the international media of spreading disinformation on the issue.

It is specified that the negotiations of the UN representatives with the rebels will continue further.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said on August 18 that the organization’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, had traveled to Niger to discuss the prospects for resolving the crisis in the country with the military seized power.

On July 26, Niger’s President Mohammed Bazum and his wife were detained by their own guards. At night, the country’s armed forces stopped the work of all government agencies, introduced a curfew in Niger and closed the borders, guaranteeing the physical integrity of Bazum and his family.

On Friday, the ECOWAS spokesman in charge of peace and security said the ECOWAS countries were ready to intervene in the situation in Niger. According to him, “the day of possible intervention has been determined.” He did not provide details. The leader of the rebels predicted massive bloodshed in Niger in the event of foreign intervention.