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| West African Leaders Activate ‘Standby Force’ to Respond to Niger Coup | West African Leaders Activate ‘Standby Force’ to Respond to Niger Coup |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| West African leaders on Thursday said they had ordered the immediate deployment of a “standby force” ready to intervene against a coup in Niger, amid reports that coup leaders told a U.S. diplomat this week that they would kill the elected president in response to any such intervention. | West African leaders on Thursday said they had ordered the immediate deployment of a “standby force” ready to intervene against a coup in Niger, amid reports that coup leaders told a U.S. diplomat this week that they would kill the elected president in response to any such intervention. |
| Mutinous generals have been holding the president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and his family hostage in their residence for more than two weeks. They have shunned mediation efforts and ignored an ultimatum by the West African leaders to relinquish power. | Mutinous generals have been holding the president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, and his family hostage in their residence for more than two weeks. They have shunned mediation efforts and ignored an ultimatum by the West African leaders to relinquish power. |
| The threat to kill Mr. Bazoum was made to the acting U.S. deputy secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, during a surprise trip to Niger on Monday, and was first reported by The Associated Press. It was confirmed by a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters. | The threat to kill Mr. Bazoum was made to the acting U.S. deputy secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, during a surprise trip to Niger on Monday, and was first reported by The Associated Press. It was confirmed by a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic matters. |
| The crisis in Niger has been humbling for several powers active in West Africa, including the United States, which has bases and troops in the country to assist in the fight against Islamist militants; France, the former colonizer, which has faced growing resentment over its presence in the region; and Nigeria, Niger’s giant neighbor to the south. | The crisis in Niger has been humbling for several powers active in West Africa, including the United States, which has bases and troops in the country to assist in the fight against Islamist militants; France, the former colonizer, which has faced growing resentment over its presence in the region; and Nigeria, Niger’s giant neighbor to the south. |
| The announcement of a standby force came at the conclusion of a crucial summit on Thursday in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, called by the Economic Community of West African States, the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, to address the crisis in Niger. | |
| “No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort,” President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, the new chair of the West African bloc, said in a statement on Thursday. |