Niger crisis: Junta plans to kill Bazoum - Top US official confirms

The military junta in Niger has threatened to kill ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum following the planned military invasion of the West African country by the Economic Community of West African States.

The plot of the military junta was revealed to a top United States diplomat, two Western officials confirmed to the Associated Press on Thursday.

Recall ECOWAS led by its Chairman President Tinubu resolved to deploy troops to Niger following the refusal by the military leaders to restore democracy despite the sanctions imposed on them and their collaborators by the regional body.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, a Western military official said representatives of the junta told the US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland of the threat to Bazoum during her visit to the country on Monday.

According to AP, a US official confirmed the account, also speaking on condition of anonymity, because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Bazoum, who was deposed on July 26, is being held hostage at his residence.

However, rising from a meeting of the ECOWAS Heads of States and Government in Abuja on Thursday, the President of ECOWAS, Omar Touray, said the bloc had directed the deployment of a “standby force” to restore democracy in Niger after the coup.

But Touray gave no details about the make-up, location and proposed date of deployment for the military intervention force.

Financing had been discussed and “appropriate measures have been taken,” he disclosed.