EU Condemns Arrest of Niger Ministers by Putschists

The European Union criticized the arrest of ministers from the overthrown government by Niger’s new junta on Monday and requested their immediate release.

“The EU denounces the continued arrests of ministers and senior officials of President Mohamed Bazoum’s government by the putschists in Niger,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Twitter, renamed X. “We call for their immediate release ,” he added.

Following a spate of arrests, the party of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has warned that the West African country is on the verge of becoming a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime.” The ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) condemned the “abusive arrests” of four ministries – Interior, Petroleum, Mines, and Transport – as well as the president of the PNDS’s national executive committee.

The European Union has criticized the coup in Niger, which it regards as an important pillar of stability in the troubled Sahel area. It halted budgetary assistance to Niamey and threatened fresh sanctions in the aftermath of the putsch.

Mr Bazoum, a Western friend whose victory just over two years ago represented Niger’s first peaceful transition of power since independence, was deposed by the presidential guard on July 26.

Despite its uranium riches, Niger is one of the world’s poorest countries. It is the third country in the area to undergo a coup since 2020, following Mali and Burkina Faso. It has been plagued by attacks by organizations associated to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda.

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