EU Special Envoy for the Sahel Emanuela del Re said in an interview that the sanctions against Niger, where the coup took place, are “starting to have an effect” – there is not enough food and medicine in the country.
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“Sanctions are starting to have an effect: there is not enough medicine, food, electricity is missing – even more than before. If we want the junta to weaken, we must continue the sanctions,” she said.
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According to her, the European Union supports the course of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) to put pressure on the new military leadership of Niger. The Italian diplomat added that the regional organization considers a possible military intervention as a last resort, “to which it should not come.”
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“An issue on which there is a lot of debate both in the EU and in ECOWAS is the question of the legitimacy of any intervention, absolute legitimacy is necessary for the correct and transparent conduct of business. For example, will an armed intervention need approval from the UN Security Council? Do you need only internal legitimation? Since there is a request for support from the EU, we are very attentive to the procedural and regulatory issue,” Del Re said.
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At the end of July, the Niger military announced on national television the removal of President Mohamed Bazum from power. The commander of the presidential guard, General Abdurakhman Tchiani, appeared on state TV as the head of the “National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland” formed by the coup participants. The leaders of most Western countries and the regional organization ECOWAS condemned the coup. In early August, the participants in the emergency meeting of the Chiefs of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the ECOWAS countries held in Abuja adopted a plan in case of military intervention in Niger.
