NIAMEY, Niger – Mohamed Bazoum, the overthrown President of Niger, revealed distressing conditions about his confinement in a series of text messages sent to a friend.
Following a military coup that suspended the nation’s constitution, the embattled leader was ousted on July 26, 2023.
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, also the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, had previously set a seven-day ultimatum for the coup leaders to reinstate Bazoum.
That deadline has now passed, and a meeting has been scheduled for Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria.
In the disclosed messages, Bazoum reported being completely isolated, stating he had been “deprived of all human contact” since the previous Friday.
He painted a grim picture of his circumstances, sharing that no provisions for food or medicine were made available to him.
The ousted leader also indicated the lack of electricity, a situation faced by many in Niger after Nigeria suspended its electric power supply in reaction to the coup.
With the power outage, Bazoum stated that his perishable food was now spoiled, forcing him to subsist on dry pasta and rice.
In spite of his dire situation, Bazoum managed to communicate with the outside world.
Although he was not permitted to converse with the acting US Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, during her visit to Niamey on Monday, August 7, 2023, he did manage to hold a phone conversation with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
Notably, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, the 14th Emir of Kano, engaged with the coup leaders, reportedly trying to foster negotiations.
While it’s said that Sanusi was acting in a personal capacity during this engagement, he did brief President Bola Tinubu prior to his visit.
Given the heightened tensions and growing international concerns, all eyes are now on the ECOWAS meeting scheduled for Thursday, with stakeholders eager for a resolution to the crisis in Niger.
