Niger military to prosecute Mohamed Bazoum for 'high treason'

Niger’s military has said it will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for treason, hours after a group of senior Islamic scholars said the country’s coup leaders open to diplomacy to resolve their standoff with West Africa’s regional bloc, Report informs, citing Al Jazeera.

In a statement read out on national television late on Sunday, a spokesman for Niger’s military laid out the charges against Bazoum as “high treason and undermining the internal and external security” of the country.

The ECOWAS leaders had previously demanded that the rebels release Bazoum by August 7, threatening to use force among other options. Nevertheless, the neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso warned that they would consider such a step as an attack on themselves. Since the ECOWAS ultimatum was ignored, the community’s leaders reconvened on August 10.

The organization said it was resolved to restore constitutional order in Niger. Upon returning from the summit, President of the Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara said that the ECOWAS leaders agreed on launching a military operation in Niger as soon as possible.