Coup leaders in Niger announced on Sunday evening that they would prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bassum on charges of “high treason” and “undermining the country’s security”, while a mediation panel of Nigerian sheikhs said they agreed with the military. Council to intensify talks to resolve crisis.

In a statement read on national television, Amadou Abdel Rahman, a member of the military junta, said authorities have “to date gathered evidence to prosecute the deposed president and his local and foreign partners before competent national and international bodies on charges of undermining Niger’s internal affairs and treason”. and external security.”

The report said the evidence came after Bazoum interacted with Nigerian citizens, foreign heads of state and officials of international organizations.

At the same time, the military council confirmed that the ousted president still enjoyed all means of communication and that the military had not entered his residence.

He said that the doctor visited him regularly and neither he nor his family members noticed any health symptoms.

In their statement, coup leaders renewed their condemnation of sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

They said the people of Niger are “deeply affected by the illegal, inhumane and degrading economic sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States, which deprives the country of medicine, food and even electricity”.

Mediation efforts

On the other hand, representatives of Nigerian sheikhs and scholars who are mediating to resolve the crisis said they agreed to intensify dialogue with the coup leaders and advised Abuja to refrain from any military intervention in Niger.

The head of the mediation delegation, Sheikh Abdullah Bala Lau, said in a statement that coup leader General Abdul Rahman Diyani “opens his door to discuss the path of diplomacy and peace to resolve the crisis”. .”

The sheikhs’ representatives are conducting the mediation with the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, who currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the ECOWAS group.

ECOWAS imposed a series of economic sanctions on Niger following the July 26 coup that ousted President Bassum, and agreed to activate its “reserve force” to be ready to deploy in Niger to restore constitutional order, angering coup leaders.

ECOWAS has not indicated any timetable for its possible military intervention, and on Saturday canceled an emergency meeting of its military leaders that was scheduled to discuss the decision to activate the reserve force.