PARIS (AP) 鈥 Niger鈥檚 prime minister, who has been stuck outside the country since last week鈥檚 coup, appealed Tuesday for the international community's help in rolling back the military takeover, saying it was crucial for defending democracy in West Africa.
Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou said in an interview with The Associated Press that Niger should be considered a linchpin for supporting democracy in the region and for protecting countries to the south 鈥渁gainst the spread of terrorism.鈥
Mahamadou was staying in France because he was unable to go back to Niger due to borders closing after the coup, which happened as he was travelling to Italy for international meetings.
Coup leaders pushed out the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum last week in Niger, where the constitution grants the president broad powers including the authority to appoint the prime minister.
The West African regional body known as ECOWAS announced travel and economic sanctions against Niger on Sunday and said it could use force if the don鈥檛 reinstate Bazoum within one week.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a catastrophe,鈥 Mahamadou said in his first interview with a non-French media outlet. 鈥淏ecause Niger is a fragile country. It鈥檚 already a country where nearly 4 million people live in food insecurity鈥 It鈥檚 a country with 300,000 refugees and as many internally displaced people.鈥
On Tuesday from Niger for their citizens and other European nationals.
Mahamadou noted that the coup comes after three similar events in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea since 2020.
鈥淚f a fourth coup is confirmed, it鈥檚 the whole democracy in West Africa that is in danger, because there鈥檚 no reason why ... there shouldn鈥檛 be a fifth, and after a fifth, a sixth," he said.
鈥淔or the ECOWAS countries, it鈥檚 a question of survival. For the international community too, it鈥檚 a question of credibility. Niger must remain a democratic state,鈥 he insisted.
His government was one of the West鈥檚 against West African Islamic extremists. 鈥淣iger is a key country in terms of security for the rest of Africa, but also for the rest of the world,鈥 he said.
Both the United States and France have sent troops and hundreds of millions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger.
The current instability in the country ultimately 鈥渃ould encourage 鈥 the further development of insecurity linked to jihadists,鈥 Mahamadou warned. "Because if the armed forces are preoccupied with issues other than ensuring the country鈥檚 security, you can understand that this will enable the jihadists to move forward on the ground.鈥
Still, the prime minister said he wants to remain 鈥渙ptimistic鈥 about the possibility for Niger to get back to democracy and avoid an ECOWAS military intervention.
He said he remains in touch with Bazoum and that the president 鈥渋s certainly a hostage,鈥 but also that he is in 鈥済ood spirits鈥 and 鈥渞eady to face the situation.鈥
Mahamadou said he believed the coup leaders would heed the ECOWAS call to restore Bazoum rather than face the threat of military intervention, because they say they are 鈥減atriots.鈥
