Emmanuel Thomas I DPA, Tuesday, August 15, 2023
BERLIN – German Development Minister Svenja Schulze has condemned the planned prosecution of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger during her four-day trip to West Africa.
“We are all very concerned about what this announcement means for President Bazoum and his family,” she told media group Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
“We would like to see a peaceful path back to democracy. And that includes finding a fair solution for the president and his family.”
Niger’s new military rulers have announced that Bazoum will be charged with high treason. High treason can be punished by death in Niger. However, according to Amnesty International, executions have not occurred for decades.
On July 26, Niger’s military ousted the democratically-elected president. They suspended the constitution and appointed their own transitional government.
Shortly afterwards, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on the junta and demanded an immediate return to constitutional order.
Schulze is arrived in Mauritania on Monday and plans to travel on to Nigeria on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Niger with ECOWAS representatives.
