Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

Mali and Burkina Faso Warn ECOWAS that Any Military Intervention Against Niger Would Amount to a Declaration of War

August 1, 2023

 

Coup leader, General Abdul Rahman Tchiani, makes a statement Friday, July 28, 2023, in Niamey, Niger npr	Demonstrators march in support of the Niger coup, July 31, 2023

 

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Niger: Algeria warns against foreign military intervention

 Tuesday, 01 August 2023

Algeria reiterated on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, its "deep attachment" to the return to constitutional order in Niger and its "support" for Mohamed Bazoum as "legitimate President", while warning against intentions of foreign military intervention, said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Community abroad, reported by the official APS agency.

"Algeria renews its deep attachment to the return to constitutional order in Niger and to respect for the requirements of the rule of law.

In this spirit, the Algerian government reaffirms its support for Mr. Mohamed Bazoum as legitimate President of the Republic of Niger," the source said. "The return to constitutional order must imperatively be accomplished by peaceful means that will prevent brotherly Niger and the entire region from increasing insecurity and instability and our peoples from adversity and hardship," the same source said.

"Consequently, Algeria warns and calls for caution and restraint in the face of the intentions of foreign military interventions which are, unfortunately, considered as possible and usable options while they are only complicating factors and worsening the current crisis," the statement concluded.

It should be noted that from the beginning of the events of Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Algeria had condemned the coup attempt in Niger.

actuniger.com

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COUP D'ÉTAT IN NIGER: GENERAL ABDOURAHAMANE TCHIANI, THE COUNTRY'S NEW STRONGMAN

Niger Inter, JULY 28, 2023

After the military coup d'état that occurred on Wednesday, July 26, the new strongman of the country is now known to Nigeriens. This is Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tchiani, President of the CNSP, National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland.

The new strongman who spoke this Friday, July 28, 2023, on national television, said that the decision to end the regime of the 7th Republic is motivated by the firm desire to preserve the country in the face, on the one hand, of "the continuous deterioration of the security situation" and on the other hand, of "poor economic and social governance".

On the security issue, the country's new strongman highlighted the mismatch between political discourse and "the harsh reality of insecurity" in Niger as experienced by the SDF and the population.

He therefore questioned the current security approach, which was considered incoherent and ineffective and which did not make it possible to secure the country. Regarding the economic and social aspect, the President of the CNSP said that challenges such as improving the current state of public finances and the economic fabric of the country, the situation of Nigerien schools, the health of the population, the fight against the embezzlement of public funds, the fight against impunity, corruption in all its forms, the nepotism and difficulties faced by the populations have not been addressed by the regime of the 7th Republic. With regard to the people, the new strongman of the country has launched an appeal for calm, vigilance and a patriotic leap.

The Constitution of 25 November 2010 has already been suspended and all the institutions resulting from the said Constitution have been dissolved. Pending the return to constitutional order, all powers are therefore exercised by the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP). Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger's new strongman, had previously been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011.

Coup d'état in Niger: General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the country's new strongman – Nigerinter

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Niger crisis:

Mali, Burkina Faso warn ECOWAS that any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war

August 1, 2023 | 

aNiamey.com

In a statement read on Monday, July 31, 2023, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, warned ECOWAS against any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Mali and Burkina Faso. Below is the communiqué of the two governments.

The Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali have learned through the press of the conclusions of the extraordinary summits of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) held on 30 July 2023 in Abuja on the political situation in Niger.

The Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali:

1.Express their fraternal solidarity and that of the Burkinabe and Malian peoples to the brotherly people of NIGER who have decided responsibly to take their destiny into their own hands and to assume before history the fullness of their sovereignty;

2. Denounce the persistence of these regional organizations in imposing sanctions aggravating the suffering of the populations and jeopardizing the spirit of Pan-Africanism:

3. Refuse to apply these illegal, illegitimate and inhuman sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger;

4. Caution that any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali;

5. Caution that any military intervention against Niger would entail the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS, as well as the adoption of self-defence measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger;

6. Warn of the disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger that could destabilise the entire region, as was NATO's unilateral intervention in Libya that led to the spread of terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa.

The Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali are deeply indignant and surprised by the imbalance observed between, on the one hand, the speed and adventurous attitude of certain West African political leaders wishing to use armed force to restore constitutional order in a sovereign country, and on the other hand, the inaction, indifference and passive complicity of these and these anizations and political leaders to help States and peoples who have been victims of terrorism for a decade and abandoned to their fate.

In any case, the Transitional Governments of Burkina Faso and Mali invite the living forces to be ready and mobilized, in order to lend a hand to the Nigerien people, in these dark hours of the canism.

May God bless Africa and preserve Africans.

Done at Ouagadougou and Bamako, 31 July 203.

For Burkina Faso, the Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism, Government Spokesperson, Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO Knight of the Order of Merit, Arts, Letters and Communication

For Mali, The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Government Spokesperson,


Colonel Abdoulaye MAIGA Chevalier of the National Order

Niger crisis: Mali and Burkina Faso warn ECOWAS that any military intervention against Niger would amount to a declaration of war - aniamey.com

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Attempted Coup in Niger: Backgrounder

By the Africa Center for Strategic Studies,

July 27, 2023

The attempted military coup in Niger threatens to undermine the relative progress the country has made under its civilian democratic leaders and amplifies Niger’s risks for insecurity, economic crises, and political instability.

Supporters of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum gather to show their support for him in Niamey on July 26, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

Members of Niger’s presidential guard detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, declaring that they have seized control of the government and suspended the constitution of this country of 25 million people.

Protests against the unconstitutional seizure of power were violently suppressed.

The rationale for the attempted coup is not apparent. Reports suggest the move may have been triggered by the departing head of the presidential guard who was disgruntled for being sidelined. As with other coups in the region, grievances over security and poverty have been put forward to validate the extraconstitutional action.

“Protests against the unconstitutional seizure of power were violently suppressed.”

Niger’s Chief of Defense, General Abdou Sidikou Issa, declared the army’s support for the coup attempt on July 27, ostensibly in the interest of avoiding bloodshed.

Looters supporting the coup subsequently set fire to the ruling party headquarters. The streets in Niamey later saw widespread looting and other buildings and cars were set ablaze.

President Bazoum has refused to resign and has called on Nigeriens to resist and protect the country’s “hard-earned” democratic gains. This call has been echoed by Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou and other senior officials.

ECOWAS, the African Union, the European Union, the United States, and other democratic governments have strongly condemned the attempted coup and called on the military to return to their barracks.

The leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, currently in St. Petersburg for the Russia-Africa Summit, has welcomed the coup in Niger.

Russia’s involvement in the attempted coup is not clear, however, Niger has been in the crosshairs of complex Russian disinformation campaigns in recent years. Following the October 2022 coup in Burkina Faso, pro-Russian Telegram channels suggested Niger as a future target. Disinformation networks connected to the Wagner Group, furthermore, have twice sought to spark rumors of a coup in Niger, including through what appears to have been a carefully orchestrated online scheme coinciding with a trip abroad by President Bazoum in February 2023.

While the situation remains fluid and much remains unclear, this backgrounder provides relevant context and framing to the attempt to overturn the democratically elected government in Niger.

Overcoming a History of Military Government

President Mohamed Bazoum won presidential elections with 56 percent of the vote in February 2021. The elections were widely seen as free and fair. Bazoum succeeded President Mahamadou Issoufou who stepped down after completing his constitutionally limited second term in office.

This succession represented the first peaceful transfer of power in Niger’s history.

This democratic trajectory was emerging from Niger’s long history of military government, including four military coups between 1974 and 2010.

This fostered an extended period of stagnation for one of the world’s poorest countries. Over that 35-year timeframe, Nigeriens’ per capita income contracted by 29 percent. Niger endured negative growth rates in two-thirds of those years, part of Africa’s “lost decades” of development due to misgovernance.

Democratic Progress on Development and Security

Justifying the attempted coup in Niger on economic or security grounds is unsubstantiated by the widely differing trendlines we have seen in Niger under military versus civilian governments.

In the decade under Issoufou and Bazoum, per capita income in Niger has expanded by 26 percent, reversing the decades’ long slide. Economic growth in recent years has been robust with the World Bank projecting real gross domestic product growth for 2023 to be nearly 7 percent and 12.5 percent in 2024.

Despite global spikes in food prices from the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Niger has managed to keep its inflation rate at around 4 percent, the lowest in the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union.

Niger is simultaneously grappling with an influx of 300,000 refugees fleeing conflicts in Mali and Nigeria, as well as 350,000 internally displaced people due to militant Islamist attacks spilling over its borders.

Nonetheless, Niger’s Human Development Index has been improving steadily during the past decade.

Under civilian rule, Niger was also steadily improving its ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

Niger Under Civilian Government in 2023

7% projected economic growth 53% decline in fatalities linked to Sahelian militant Islamist groups 4% inflation rate, lowest in West Africa Economic and Monetary Union

Under its democratically elected civilian presidents, Niger has made progress strengthening public accountability, including within its defense and security forces. The government opened several high-level inquiries into the defense sector, exposing diversions and resulting in both civil and criminal investigations. The investigations revealed the need for greater scrutiny of procurement contracts to strengthen Niger’s 58,000-strong security sector, comprising an army, gendarmerie, national guard, police, and small air force. These savings have been vital for funding Niger’s $260 million annual defense budget, representing 7 percent of government spending.

Niger has been widely commended for its security response to the militant Islamist threat. Violent events in Niger account for less than 10 percent of the total in the Sahel. Yet, the Mali junta’s expulsion of French security forces and the restrictions on the MINUSMA peacekeeping force have resulted in a surge of violence on the Mali side of the border. This has subsequently caused an uptick in violent events in Niger in 2023. Still, fatality rates linked to militant Islamist group attacks in Niger are down by 53 percent compared to 2022.

A Crisis of Coups for Africa

Africa has experienced seven military coups since 2020—in Mali (twice), Burkina Faso (twice), Guinea, Chad, and Sudan. These coups build on other cases where dominant militaries have hijacked democratic movements to orchestrate successions that enable the militaries to retain ultimate authority—in Egypt, Zimbabwe, Algeria, and Burundi. There are also cases where elected leaders undermine democratic checks and balances in office to consolidate power and prolong their tenures, such as Tunisia’s auto-coup. When a military coup is tolerated in one country, it opens the door for power-seeking military actors elsewhere to do the same.

“When a military coup is tolerated in one country, it opens the door for power-seeking military actors elsewhere to do the same.”

Many of these recent military coups have been led by colonels commanding presidential guards or special forces units rather than military leaders at the top of the chain of command. These elite units are often provided specialized training, equipment, and salaries to enhance their capacity. Over time, some of these units have become politicized and accustomed to their privileged space near the center of power. This politicization erodes the avowed apolitical nature of the military, enabling their eventually seizing power for themselves.

Recent coup makers inevitably justify their actions on the basis of real or perceived grievances regarding security and development. Yet, Africa’s recent military juntas have not been reformist. Violent extremist events in Mali and Burkina Faso, for example, have tripled since the coups there have occurred. Neither have any of these juntas made any serious attempt to transition their countries back to democratic rule. Rather, these juntas have focused on seizing and holding power as an end in itself.

“These juntas have focused on seizing and holding power as an end in itself.”

In effect, West Africa (and Africa more generally) is facing the challenge of militaries reasserting their perceived entitlement to govern—a throwback to the 1960’s-1980’s.

The recent spate of coups in West Africa has also been characterized by the influence of global authoritarian actors, namely Russia. In Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the coups were preceded by concerted Russian disinformation campaigns that attacked the elected civilian governments, the capability of democratic governments to maintain security, and tying these governments to anticolonial sentiment. Russia has subsequently been the leading external cheerleader (and beneficiary) for militaries seizing power in Africa.

Lacking domestic support, unaccountable military governments are also more vulnerable to sacrificing national sovereignty in support of their international patron.

The Vital Role of International Actors

Coups ultimately require the validation of regional and international actors to succeed. If international actors refuse to do so, then the putschists become politically isolated—a fact further compounded when they are denied access to a state’s sovereign financial accounts. International actors, in short, play a critical role in validating coups.

There is a practical financial dimension to this. Niger, for example, is the recipient of $1.8 billion in annual foreign assistance—almost all from democratic countries. The United States is the largest bilateral donor with $238 million in annual foreign aid.

“Coups ultimately require the validation of regional and international actors to succeed.”

The Organization of African Unity’s policy of non-interference has long been criticized as having incentivized coup plotters on the continent. Non-coincidentally, Africa experienced 82 coups between 1960-2000 contributing to the instability, corruption, human rights abuses, impunity, and poverty that characterized many African countries during that era.

The African Union’s shift to a policy of non-indifference at its creation in 2000 altered this calculation, contributing to a dramatic reduction in coups in the two decades of the new millennium. The perceived waning in commitment of regional and international actors to democratic practices, along with the distractions of the pandemic, have been accompanied by the recent surge in African coups.

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum addresses the media in Sara-Koira, western Niger in 2021. (Photo: AFP)

African regional bodies and international democratic actors, accordingly, play an indispensable role in upholding democratic norms. They must make clear that partnerships are built on strong commitments to democratic practices that are the foundation for greater diplomatic support, development and security assistance, and promotion of private investment. Regional and international actors, in turn, need to impose real costs on coup makers. Failure to do so, only invites additional coups. This includes not recognizing those who seize power extralegally, suspending financial assistance and debt relief, and freezing the assets of and denying coup leaders’ access to the international financial system.

Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea had only relatively recently embarked on a democratic path, after decades of military governments that had perpetuated poverty and instability. Given that these countries were beginning their democratic trajectory as fragile states, it was always expected that they would face a bumpy road—and navigate many grievances. Yet, such grievances are often cited as a reason to tolerate coups.

“Regional and international actors need to impose real costs on coup makers. Failure to do so, only invites additional coups.”

A missing lesson in these democratic experiences is how to deal constructively with the real grievances every society faces. Democracy does not guarantee good governance. It does, however, guarantee the means to put pressure on the government leading to self-correction—through elections, parliamentary inquiries, investigative journalism, anticorruption commissions, public protectors or ombudsman’s offices, protests, etc. Niger has made progress in just such areas during its democratic experience—processes that would be set back by another military junta.

In the introspection following another attempted coup on the continent, amplifying alternative paths for addressing grievances must become more of a priority.

Additional Resources:

Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Mali Catastrophe Accelerating under Junta Rule,” Infographic, July 10, 2023.

Joseph Siegle, “The Creeping Loss of African Sovereignty – Africa Center for Strategic Studies,” Spotlight, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, February 8, 2023.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Understanding Burkina Faso’s Latest Coup,” Spotlight, October 28, 2022.

Daniel Eizenga, “’Transition’ Orchestrated by Chad’s Military Goes Awry,” Spotlight, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, November 15, 2022.

Daniel Eizenga, “Chad’s Ongoing Instability, the Legacy of Idriss Déby,” Spotlight, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, May 3, 2021.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Autocracy and Instability in Africa,” Infographic, March 9, 2021.

Joseph Siegle and Daniel Eizenga, “Walking Back the Coup in Guinea,” The Conversation, September 17, 2021.

Joseph Siegle, “Africa’s Coups and the Role of External Actors,” ISPI, December 14, 2021.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “The Legacy of Military Governance in Mali,” Spotlight, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, September 25, 2020.

Joseph Siegle and Daniel Eizenga, “Mali Coup Offers Lessons in Democracy Building—but the Junta Must Go,” The Hill, September 19, 2020.

Joseph Siegle and Candace Cook, “Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa,” Infographic, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, September 14, 2020.

Joseph Siegle and Daniel Eizenga, “Mali: Beware the ‘Popular’ Coup,” AllAfrica.com, August 31, 2020.

Paul Nantulya, “Post-Nkurunziza Burundi: The Rise of the Generals,” Spotlight, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, June 22, 2020.

Émile Ouédraogo, “Advancing Military Professionalism in Africa,” Research Paper No. 6, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, July 31, 2014.

Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, “Africa’s Militaries: A Missing Link in Democratic Transitions,” Africa Security Brief No. 17, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, January 31, 2012.

Attempted Coup in Niger: Backgrounder (africacenter.org)

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Soldiers declare Niger general as head of state following coup

July 29, 2023, NPR, The Associated Press

NIAMEY, Niger —

Mutinous soldiers who staged a coup in Niger declared their leader the new head of state on Friday, hours after the general asked for national and international support despite rising concerns that the political crisis could hinder the nation's fight against jihadists and boost Russia's influence in West Africa.

Spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that the constitution was suspended and Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani was in charge.

Various factions of Niger's military have reportedly wrangled for control since members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France.

Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 soldiers in the country who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation's troops.

The coup sparked international condemnation and the West African regional group ECOWAS, which includes Niger and has taken the lead in trying to restore democratic rule in the country, scheduled an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Sunday.

The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned efforts "to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government." Its statement, agreed to by all 15 members including the U.S. and Russia, called for "the immediate and unconditional release" of Bazoum and expressed concern over the negative effect of coups in the region, the "increase in terrorist activities and the dire socio—economic situation."

Extremists in Niger have carried out attacks on civilians and military personnel, but the overall security situation is not as dire as in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso — both of which have ousted the French military. Mali has turned to the Russian private military group Wagner, and it's believed that the mercenaries will soon be in Burkina Faso.

Now there are concerns that Niger could follow suit. Before the coup, Wagner, which has sent mercenaries around the world in support of Russia's interests, already had its sights set on Niger, in part because it's a large producer of uranium.

"We can no longer continue with the same approaches proposed so far, at the risk of witnessing the gradual and inevitable demise of our country," Tchiani, who also goes by Omar Tchiani, said in his address. "That is why we decided to intervene and take responsibility."

Sponsor Message

"I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges," he said.

If the United States designates the takeover as a coup, Niger stands to lose millions of dollars of military aid and assistance.

The mutinous soldiers, who call themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, accused some prominent dignitaries of collaborating with foreign embassies to "extract" the deposed leaders. They said it could lead to violence and warned against foreign military intervention.

Bazoum has not resigned and he defiantly tweeted from detention on Thursday that democracy would prevail.

It's not clear who enjoys majority support, but the streets of the capital of Niamey were calm Friday, with a slight celebratory air. Some cars honked in solidarity at security forces as they drove by — but it was not clear if that meant they backed the coup. Elsewhere, people rested after traditional midday prayers and others sold goods at their shops and hoped for calm.

"We should pray to God to help people come together so that peace comes back to the country. We don't want a lot of protests in the country, because it is not good ... I hope this administration does a good job," said Gerard Sassou, a Niamey shopkeeper.

A day earlier, several hundred people gathered in the city chanting support for Wagner while waving Russian flags. "We're fed up," said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors. "We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush. ... We're going to collaborate with Russia now."

That's exactly what many in the West likely fear. Tchiani's criticism of Bazoum's approach and of how security partnerships have worked in the past will certainly make the U.S., France, and the EU uneasy, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute.

"So that could mark potentially some shifts moving forward in Niger security partnerships," he said.

Even as Tchiani sought to project control, the situation appeared to be in flux. A delegation from neighboring Nigeria, which holds the ECOWAS presidency and was hoping to mediate, left shortly after arriving, and the president of Benin, nominated as a mediator by ECOWAS, has not arrived.

Earlier, an analyst who had spoken with participants in the talks said the presidential guard was negotiating with the army about who should be in charge. The analyst spoke on condition they not to be named because of the sensitive situation.

A western military official in Niger who was not authorized to speak to the media also said the military factions were believed to be negotiating, but that the situation remained tense and violence could erupt.

Speaking in Papua New Guinea, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup as "completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous for the Nigeriens, Niger and the whole region."

The coup threatens to starkly reshape the international community's engagement with the Sahel region.

On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the country's "substantial cooperation with the Government of Niger is contingent on Niger's continued commitment to democratic standards."

The United States in early 2021 said it had provided Niger with more than $500 million in military assistance and training programs since 2012, one of the largest such support programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union earlier this year launched a 27 million-euro ($30 million) military training mission in Niger.

The United States has more than 1,000 service personnel in the country.

Some military leaders who appear to be involved in the coup have worked closely with the United States for years. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger's special forces, has an especially strong relationship with the U.S., the Western military official said.

While Russia has also condemned the coup, it remains unclear what the junta's position would be on Wagner.

The acting head of the United Nations in Niger said Friday that humanitarian aid deliveries were continuing, even though the military suspended flights carrying aid.

Nicole Kouassi, the acting U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator, told reporters via video from Niamey that 4.3 million people needed humanitarian aid before this week's military action and 3.3 million faced "acute food insecurity," the majority of them women and children.

Jean-Noel Gentile, the U.N. World Food Program director in Niger, said "the humanitarian response continues on the ground." He said the U.N. is providing cash assistance and food to people in accessible areas and that the agency is continuously assessing the situation to ensure security and access.

Sponsor Message

This is Niger's fifth coup and marks the fall of one of the last democratically elected governments in the Sahel.

Its army has always been very powerful and civilian-military relations fraught, though tensions had increased recently, especially with the growing jihadist insurgency, said Karim Manuel, an analyst for the Middle East and Africa with the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Soldiers declare Niger general as head of state following coup : NPR

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West Africa threatens force on Niger coup leaders, French embassy attacked

By Boureima Balima and Felix Onuah

Reuters, July 31, 2023

Summary

ECOWAS bloc gives ultimatum to Niger's new military leaders Pro-coup protesters burn French flags in Niamey Military takeover was Sahel region's seventh since 2020 From Paris, Niger's PM says sanctions would be disastrous

NIAMEY/ABUJA, July 30 (Reuters) -

West African nations imposed sanctions and threatened force on Sunday if Niger's coup leaders fail to reinstate ousted President Mohammed Bazoum within a week, while supporters of the junta attacked the French embassy in Niamey.

The 15-nation ECOWAS bloc's response to the Sahel region's seventh coup of recent years came as crowds in Niger's capital Niamey burned French flags and stoned the former colonial power's mission, drawing tear gas from police.

Images showed fires at the embassy walls and people being loaded into ambulances with bloodied legs.

At an emergency summit in Nigeria to discuss last week's coup, leaders of the Economic Community of West African States called for constitutional order to be restored, warning of reprisals if not.

"Such measures may include the use of force," their communique said, adding that defence officials would meet immediately to that effect.

Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who came to power in 2021 after a coup, met his Nigerian counterpart Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the summit and volunteered to speak to the military leaders in Niger, two presidential aides told Reuters, asking not to be identified.

Niger's state TV showed Deby arriving and meeting them.

ECOWAS and the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union said that with immediate effect borders with Niger would be closed, commercial flights banned, financial transactions halted, national assets frozen and aid ended.

Military officials involved in the coup would be banned from travelling and have their assets frozen, it added.

Niger's prime minister under Bazoum's government, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, said ECOWAS sanctions would be disastrous because the country relies heavily on international partners to cover its budgetary needs.

"I know the fragility of Niger, I know the economic and financial context of Niger having been the finance minister and now prime minister," Mahamadou, who was abroad when the coup occurred, told France24 television from Paris.

"This is a country that will not be able to resist these kinds of sanctions. It will be catastrophic."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed ECOWAS's action on Sunday.

"We join ECOWAS and regional leaders in calling for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and his family and the restoration of all state functions to the legitimate, democratically-elected government," said Blinken in a statement.

CAN SANCTIONS WORK?

Similar sanctions were imposed by ECOWAS on Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea following coups in those countries in the past three years.

Although the financial sanctions led to defaults on debt - in Mali in particular - such measures have tended to hurt civilians more than the military leaders who seized power in some of the world's poorest countries, political analysts say. Timelines to restore civilian rule have been agreed in all three countries, but there has been little progress implementing them.

[1/9]Demonstrators gather in support of the putschist soldiers in the capita Niamey, Niger July 30, 2023. Signs read "long live CNSP", "down with France, ECOWAS". REUTERS/Balima Boureima

The military coup in Niger, which began unfolding on Wednesday, has been widely condemned by neighbours and international partners including the United States, the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and former colonial power France.

They have all refused to recognise the new leaders led by General Abdourahamane Tiani.

Niger has been a key ally in Western campaigns against insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel, and there are concerns that the coup could open the door to greater Russian influence there. Thousands of French troops were forced to withdraw from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso following coups there.

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank.

The United States, France, Italy and Germany have troops there on military training and missions to fight Islamist insurgents. Niger is also the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium, the radioactive metal widely used for nuclear energy and in nuclear weapons, as well as for treating cancer.

Ahead of the summit, Niger's junta had warned that ECOWAS was considering an imminent military intervention in collaboration with other African and some Western nations.

"We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland," junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.

'COUP ERA MUST STOP'

At their invitation, thousands of people rallied in the capital on Sunday, some heading to France's embassy.

"We are here to express our discontent against France's interference in Niger's affairs. Niger is an independent and sovereign country, so France's decisions have no influence on us," said protester Sani Idrissa.

Similar to events in neighbouring Burkina Faso in September last year following a coup, some protesters tried to climb the embassy walls, while others stomped on burning French flags.

They were dispersed by Niger national guard.

France condemned the violence and said anyone attacking its nationals or interests would face a swift and stern response.

"The era of coups d'etat in Africa must stop. They are not acceptable," French foreign minister Catherine Colonna Catherine Colonna told RTL radio, adding that the situation had calmed by the afternoon and no evacuation of French citizens was planned.

The European Union and France have cut off financial support to Niger and the United States has threatened to do the same.

Sunday's ECOWAS communique thanked nations in line with the bloc's stance but "condemned the pronouncement of support by foreign governments and foreign private military contractors."

Russia's Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who remains active despite leading a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass last month, has hailed the coup as good news and offered his fighters' services to bring order.

Reporting by Boureima Balima and Moussa Aksar in Niamey, Felix Onuah in Abuja, Elizabeth Pineau and Layli Foroudi in Paris; Writing by Bate Felix and Alexandra Zavis; Editing by Frances Kerry, Andrew Cawthorne, Don Durfee and Diane Craft

West Africa threatens force on Niger coup leaders, French embassy attacked | Reuters

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