Niger, due to its precarious economic situation, will not be able to cope with the sanctions imposed by regional organizations, including ECOWAS, and a number of Western states after a military coup, said Prime Minister of the government of deposed President Uhumudu Mahamadou.
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The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) has suspended commercial and financial transactions between the community and Niger, and has also frozen the country’s assets in the central bank of the association and the commercial banks of the member countries. A number of Western states, including France, Britain and Spain, have also imposed sanctions against the African country.
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“I know the fragility of Niger, I know the economic situation in the country, since I myself was the Minister of Finance and now I head the government. This is a country that will not be able to resist such sanctions. In an economic sense, it will be a disaster, in a social one too,” the prime minister said.
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According to the Prime Minister, President Mohamed Bazum “feels good” and “hopes that everything will develop in the right direction.” Mahamadu added that he had only recently spoken to him, including about his desire to give this interview, and also denied the TV presenter’s assumptions about the possible voluntary resignation of the president-elect.
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Earlier, the military of Niger, during a speech on national television, said that President Mohamed Bazum was removed, the borders were closed, and a curfew was announced. Before that, the military of the presidential guard blocked the presidential palace in the capital of the country, Niamey. Bazum’s office claimed that the army did not support the rebels, but later the command of the Armed Forces declared solidarity with them. The President is still held in residence.
