The African Union (AU) says it was convening a meeting today (Monday) to address the unfolding crisis in Niger, subsequent to the July 26 coup that led to the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum.
In a communication shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the pan-African entity announced the convening of the Peace & Security Council to discuss the evolving situation in Niger and the initiatives being undertaken to manage it. The meeting was being held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The participants included Moussa Faki Mahamat, the chief of the AU Commission, alongside representatives from Niger and the West African bloc ECOWAS.
Last week, Faki expressed profound concern over the reported challenging conditions of Bazoum’s detention.
Tomorrow (14 August) the Peace and Security Council will convene its session on the situation in #Niger. 'Insights on the PSC' presents the background to the session & analysis of the issues expected to dominate the session as well as expected outcome. See details here…
— Amani Africa (@africa_amani) August 13, 2023
He condemned the treatment meted out to the democratically elected president by the coup leaders as “unacceptable.”
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Subsequently, the outed president and his family were allowed to meet doctor, according to a source. AFP quoted the source saying Bazoum is fine, “given the situation.”
On Sunday, Niger’s military regime declared its intent to charge Bazoum with “high treason” and criticized ECOWAS for imposing sanctions on the nation.
Since the coup, Bazoum, aged 63, and his family have been held captive at the presidential residence in Niamey.
