The Nigerian coup leader rejects the sanctions and affirms that he will not give in to threats

General Abdourahamane Tiani, leader of the Nigerien coup junta, said in a speech on Wednesday that he rejects the “unfair and inhumane” sanctions imposed by West African countries against Niger and has warned that he will not give in to the threat of military intervention.

In his second public appearance after the coup d'état on July 26, carried out by a self-proclaimed junta National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), Tiani addressed the nation this Wednesday night in a speech televised on the occasion of Independence Day, which is celebrated this Thursday.

The general dedicated part of his speech to condemning the economic and financial sanctions approved against Niger by the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (Cedeao), which were greeted with “astonishment” by Nigeriens for being “illegal, unfair and inhumane”

He has also criticized the “bellicose attitude” of Cedeao, which last Sunday gave the coup junta a week to restore constitutional order without ruling out military intervention if it failed to do so.

“The CNSP rejects these sanctions en bloc and refuses to give in to any threat,” said Tiani, for whom neighboring countries seek to “humiliate” Niger and “have not taken into account the sovereignty” of the country. “We reject any interference in the internal affairs of Niger,” he added.

For the general, the coup has the support of the Nigerien people and “the opposition comes mainly from some individuals who believe they have a particular right over the Nigerien State and who are allied with some lobis and foreign powers.”

And, above all, he added, “of some heads of state in our subregion who are using our community institutions for selfish and lobbying purposes.”

“This hostile and radical attitude”, he added, does not provide solutions for the fight against terrorism in the region, but rather “creates mistrust between partners”.

Regarding the future, Tiani has affirmed that, “once the emotions of each other have passed”, the CNSP aspires to “create the conditions for a calm transition before carrying out, in a short and reasonable period, general elections” .

He will do so, he said, “aware of the seriousness that Niger is experiencing and “open to dialogue.”

Mention of France in the speech

Tiani has also referred to France, without naming it, when criticizing its “excessive reaction” to the assault suffered by the French embassy in Niamey last Sunday during a pro-coup demonstration.

After the incident, in which protesters tried to enter the embassy, the French government stated in a statement that it would respond “immediately and decisively” in the event of an attack on its interests.

The general stated in his speech that he was surprised that “a partner country” threatened “to resort to force to protect its citizens, its diplomatic representatives and its interests in Niger, which have never been the object of any threat.”

As well as that “a government orders the use of military force against the Nigerien population to protect its citizens”, in reference to the response of the French forces to the attack.

World Bank closes its deals with Niger

The World Bank announced this Wednesday that it has stopped its operations in Niger “until further notice” due to the deterioration of the security situation after the military coup that took place at the end of last week in the country.

“The World Bank believes that peace, stability and the rule of law are fundamental to creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet.. We are alarmed by the attempts to overthrow the democratically elected government in Niger,” he said in a brief statement.

For all these reasons, the organization has warned in the aforementioned statement that it will stop “disbursements for all operations until further notice, except for agreements with the private sector, which will continue with caution.”

The United States cuts attention to its embassy

The United States has ordered on Wednesday the departure of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, in the midst of the attempted coup that the African country has been experiencing since last week.

In addition, he reported that the legation has suspended its routine services and only processes emergency assistance to US citizens in the country.

However, it warned that it has “limited capacity” to provide emergency services due to the “temporary reduction” of its staff, according to a new travel notice published on the embassy's website, in which it raised the level to 4 (” do not travel”), the highest.