Coup leaders in Niger Republic on Monday arrested ministers and senior members of the party of the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
According to Reuters, the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism said junta forces arrested the ousted government’s mines minister, the head of the ruling party, and oil minister Mahamane Mahamadou, who is also the son of former president Issoufou Mahamadou.
The party added that the interior minister, transport minister, and a deputy had already been detained.
While calling on citizens to come together to protect democracy, the party said, “The arrests confirm the repressive and dictatorial nature of the coup leaders.”
The arrests were announced a day after Chadian President Mahamat Deby arrived in Niger to try to mediate between the coup leaders and the ousted government.
Reuters also reported that the International Monetary Fund said that it had not yet taken any action in response to the coup but was closely monitoring developments.
The report said IMF had yet to disburse a $131.5m loan to Niger that was approved on July 5.
However, sources told Reuters that the regional central bank had cancelled Niger’s planned 30 billion CFA ($51m) bond issuance, scheduled for Monday in the West African regional debt market, following sanctions.
Also, Aljazeera on Monday reported that Germany had suspended financial aid and halted cooperation with Niger as a result of the coup.
Already, the EU and France had suspended financial support, while the U.S. had also threatened to do the same.
ECOWAS, apart from planning military operations in Niger, also imposed economic sanctions on the country.
Meanwhile, a report by France24 stated that the coup leaders on Monday accused France of wanting to “intervene militarily” to reinstate the country’s elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed in a military coup last week.
“In its search for ways and means to intervene militarily in Niger, France with the complicity of some Nigeriens, held a meeting with the chief of staff of the Nigerien national guard to obtain the necessary political and military authorisation needed,” said a statement read out on national television.
Responding to the allegations, the French foreign ministry said it was focused on guaranteeing the security of its nationals.
