The Libyan Presidential Council has pledged not to recognize military rule in Niger following a coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
This was announced by the council following a Saturday meeting between chairman Mohamed Al-Menfi and Nigeria’s Special Envoy Babagana Kingibe, who is the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in Tripoli.
Kingibe delivered a letter from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Menfi expressed satisfaction with consultations between Libya and Nigeria to maintain stability in Niger.
He cited the military takeover of the elected government in Niger is not acceptable and stressed the importance of cooperation between Libya, Algeria, Chad and ECOWAS to preserve stability in Niger and the region.
The Libyan government issued a statement Aug. 2 that expressed concern about troubling developments in Niger and warned that external intervention and efforts to drag the country into chaos would lead to further escalation of the crisis and result in security vulnerabilities in Niger and neighboring countries.
That was after a group of soldiers, calling themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, delivered a July 26 statement on Nigerien state television shortly after detaining President Mohamed Bazoum. They said they took the step due to the “deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”
Bazoum was elected in 2021 in Niger’s first democratic power transition since it gained independence from French colonial rule in 1960.