African Union hosts talks to resolve crisis in Niger

NIAMEY, Niger — The African Union held talks on Monday on the Niger crisis in an effort to solve the country's stalemate.

Discussions were held at the AU's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Those taking part in the talks included AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat, and representatives from Niger, and the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, the pan-African body said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The military leaders detained President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and named Abdourahamane Tchiani, former leader of Niger's presidential guard, as leader of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, or CNSP, a governing body established after the coup.

ECOWAS slapped sanctions on Niger, and last week approved the deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in the country.

Mixed signals have emerged as the crisis nears the end of its third week.

The coup leaders said over the weekend they were open to a diplomatic initiative after their chief Tchiani met with Nigerian religious leaders who offered to mediate.

It came after a scheduled meeting of ECOWAS military chiefs in Ghana was postponed for "technical reasons".

On Sunday night, Niger's military declared they had gathered sufficient evidence to prosecute Bazoum for "high treason and undermining internal and external security".

ECOWAS has condemned the legal threat. In a statement, the bloc said: "It represents yet another form of provocation and contradicts the reported willingness … to restore constitutional order through peaceful means."

On Monday, the military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine declared Niger would thwart ECOWAS' sanctions threat.

"We think that even though it is an unfair challenge that has been imposed on us, we should be able to overcome it. And we will overcome it," he told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The bloc has severed financial transactions and electricity supplies and closed borders with Niger, blocking much-needed imports to one of the world's poorest countries.

The United Nations persists in delivering aid to Niger, a UN spokesman said on Monday.

Agencies continue to reach people despite the challenges, including the ongoing rainy season, Stephane Dujarric told journalists in New York on Monday.

Xinhua