Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the junta, called the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland, said in a statement broadcast on national television that Ouattara spoke out for an armed action against Niger upon his return from a summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, last Thursday.

Niger’s military denounced Ouattara’s desire to see an aggression against Niger, the aim of which would allegedly be to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, and called it “illegal” and “senseless”.

Ouattara also said that Cote d’Ivoire would deploy a battalion of 850-1,000 soldiers for a possible attack on Niger, although there is internal division in ECOWAS over this matter.

The National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland has already withdrawn its ambassadors in the United States, Nigeria, Chad and France.

The military announced the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum, the suspension of the institutions, the closure of the borders and a night curfew on state television on July 26.

This is the second coup against the Government led by Bazoum after Niger’s authorities aborted an attempted coup against him on March 31st, 2021, two days before his inauguration.

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