Niger junta, supporters face additional sanctions

Niger’s military junta and their supporters are to face additional sanctions from the regional bloc, the African Union. This is contained in a communiqué the body issued on Tuesday.

The sub-regional bloc, ECOWAS, had already slammed the tiny West African country with a cocktail of sanctions, including power cut by Nigeria.

ECOWAS and, now, AU are uncompromising in their demand that the military junta restored ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power, but the coup leaders have rejected the request.

The AU backed ECOWAS actions regarding the situation in Niger, and it equally asked for names of the regime’s supporters for punitive actions.

At the same time, Nigeria’s peace envoy to Niger, former military ruler Abdulsalami Abubakar, had revealed crisis talks with the Nigerien coup leaders were yielding fruits.

Abdulsalami, who returned to Niger at the weekend for continuation of talks, briefed President Bola Tinubu of its outcome on Tuesday.

He told journalists after meeting the President of his hopes for a peaceful resolution.

“Nobody wants to go to war,” he said.

“We started talking. They (the junta) have made their own points. We’ll get somewhere hopefully.”