Nigeria cut off power supply to Niger after their neighbors from West Africa imposed sanctions to the junta that ousted the country’s elected leader last week, a source at the Nigerian power company said on Wednesday.
“Since yesterday, Nigeria has disconnected the high voltage line that transports electricity to Niger,” he told the AFP a source from the nigerian power company nigelec.
Niger depends on Nigeria for 70% of its energywhich buys from the Nigerian company Mainstream, according to Nigelec, the country’s supplier monopoly.
Electricity is generated at the dam Kainjiin western Nigeria.
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The capital, Niameyhas a local production source, but many districts suffered from frequent power outages even before the coup.
Niger hopes to achieve energy independence by building the dam kandadji on the Niger River, some 180 kilometers upstream from Niamey. Its completion is scheduled for 2025, with an annual capacity of 629 gigawatt-hours (GWh).
Do not rule out military intervention
Nigeriathe military and economic superpower of West Africahas vowed to take a firm line against the coups that have proliferated in the region since 2020. The country currently chairs the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The bloc imposed trade and financial sanctions on Sunday against Niger and they gave the coup leaders a week to reinstate the democratically elected president or deal with the possible use of force.
“The military option is the last option on the table, the last resort, but We have to prepare for that eventuality.”, declared Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
An ECOWAS team headed by the former Nigerien leader Abdulsalami Abubakar he was in Niger to “negotiate,” Musah added, at the start of a three-day meeting of the group’s military chiefs in Abuja.
mali and Burkina Fasoalso governed by coup military juntas, have warned that any military intervention in their neighbor would amount to a “War declaration” Against them.
The general Salifou Modyone of the Nigerien coup leaders, arrived on Wednesday with a delegation to Bamakothe capital of Mali, as reported to the AFP a senior Nigerian official and a Malian security officer. They gave no further details.
Niger has significant natural resourcesin particular of uranium, an essential fuel for the operation of nuclear power plants and which contributes 5% of the world supply. However, it is one of the poorest countries in the worldand often ranks near the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Index, an indicator of prosperity.
“Sanctions will greatly harm our country,” the Prime Minister declared on Sunday, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadouto the French television channel France24.
the europeans leave
Mohamed Bazoum63, was celebrated in 2021 after winning the elections that led to the first peaceful transition in Niger’s history.
He took the helm of one of the world’s poorest and most unstable countries, weighed down by four previous coups since its independence from France in 1960.
But after surviving two coup attempts, he himself Bazoum was overthrown on July 26. when members of his own guard detained him at the presidency.
His boss, the general Abdourahamane Tianihas proclaimed himself a leader, but his claim has been internationally condemned.
France scheduled more evacuation flights from the capital Niamey on Wednesday after hostile anti-French demonstrations over the weekend. As of Wednesday, more than 500 people had landed in Paris aboard two flights, mostly French citizens, but also evacuated Portuguese, Belgian, Nigerian, Ethiopian and Lebanese. Two last flights have been organized for Wednesday, according to the French army.
Currently, the French force numbers about 1,500 men in Niger, many of them deployed at a major airbase near Niamey. The French army chief of staff announced Tuesday that the withdrawal was “not on the agenda.”
The authorities of Italy They also declared that they had evacuated a hundred foreigners residing in Niger, who arrived in Rome early on Wednesday. Radio ANSA reported that among them were 36 Italians and 21 Americans.
Germany has urged its citizens to leave the country, but USAwhat’s wrong with it 1,100 soldiers stationed in Nigerhas chosen not to evacuate Americans for the time being.
(With information from AFP)
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Source-www.infobae.com