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A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 11 deceMber 2023

In coup-hit West Africa, regional leaders recognize Niger's junta

but seek fast return to democracy

By CHINEDU ASADU yet against Niger, measures
Associated Press he said would send a strong
ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — West message to other nations.
African heads of state on But rather than deter the sol-
Sunday officially recognized diers who took over power
the junta in power in Niger, in Niger and elsewhere, the
but said their sanctions to sanctions appear to have
reverse the July coup in the emboldened them, ana-
country would remain even lysts say.
as they initiate steps for a Niger's junta has gone
"short" period of transition ahead to forge an alliance
to civilian rule. with Burkina Faso and Mali
A team of heads of state and has also turned to Rus-
would engage with the jun- sia for a military partnership
ta "to agree on a short tran- after severing ties with Euro-
sition program" as against pean countries, particularly
the three years the soldiers France.
earlier proposed, Omar "The stringent regional and
Alieu Touray, president of international sanctions on
the regional bloc of ECOW- Niger (and previously the
AS Commission, said at the other juntas) have embold-
bloc's meeting in the Nige- ened the juntas to central-
rian capital of Abuja. ize control further and unite
The recognition of the junta Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, right, attends an ECOWAS meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, against ECOWAS and West-
by the 15-member bloc ends Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. Associated Press ern backers such as France
hopes of any immediate re- and the EU," said Karim Man-
instatement of Nigerien Pres- the meeting. the CNSP and their associ- … we have noticed a near uel, an analyst for the Mid-
ident Mohamed Bazoum, The leaders also requested ates." pause in the implementa- dle East and Africa with the
who was deposed amid a the immediate and uncon- The heads of state had ac- tion of the agreed transi- Economist Intelligence Unit.
surge of coups across West ditional release of Bazoum knowledged at the start of tion timetable for some time "Basically, the sanctions,
and Central Africa where who has been detained the meeting that their efforts now," Touray said. as expected, backfired ...
there have been eight mili- since the coup in July. They to stem the tide of coups in The bloc will continue to notably given strong pub-
tary takeovers since 2020. In were, however, silent on his the region have so far met "stand against the uncon- lic support for the coups,"
the past month, the govern- reinstatement as president. with little success. stitutional change of gov- Manuel added.
ments of Sierra Leone and The regional sanctions on Despite sanctions and oth- ernment" in Niger despite As the ECOWAS meeting
Guinea-Bissau have also Niger would only be eased er measures by ECOWAS, the setbacks, said Nigerian kicked off, the junta in Niger
described political crises as if the junta agrees to the de- Touray told the heads of President Bola Tinubu, who said via X, formerly known as
attempted coups. mands made by ECOWAS, state that the junta in Niger was elected leader of the Twitter, it would not change
"The heads of state have Touray said, adding that has consolidated its grip on bloc this year. "Democracy its stance, although it did not
recognized that what has failure to do would lead the power, while the military must win if we fight for it, and mention the meeting or the
happened in Niger is a coup bloc to "maintain all sanc- governments of Mali and we will definitely fight for de- bloc.
and the CNSP (National tions including the use of Burkina Faso have stopped mocracy." "We won't back down. We
Council for the Safeguard force and (to) request Afri- collaborating with the bloc Under Tinubu's leadership, will not compromise. We
of the Homeland) is a mili- can Union and all other part- on their countries' transition the regional bloc has im- will not betray and we will
tary administration in Niger," ners to enforce the capital to civilian rule. posed its most stringent trav- overcome," the junta wrote
Touray told reporters after sanctions on members of "After a moment of progress el and economic sanctions without further details.q

U.N. says the Taliban must embrace and uphold human rights

obligations in Afghanistan

ghanistan, the U.N. mission ing the Taliban's failures in fenders, many of whom
in the country said Sunday upholding rights' obliga- are paying a heavy price
on Human Rights Day and tions, said it continues to for seeking to uphold the
the 75th anniversary of the document extrajudicial fundamental tenets of the
Universal Declaration of Hu- killings, torture and ill-treat- Universal Declaration of Hu-
man Rights. ment, corporal punish- man Rights: peace, justice
Since seizing power in 2021, ment, arbitrary arrest and and freedom," said Fiona
the Taliban have erased detention, and other viola- Frazer, representative of
basic rights and freedoms, tions of detainees' rights. the UN High Commissioner
with women and girls People who speak out in for Human Rights in Af-
deeply affected. They are defense of human rights ghanistan.
excluded from most pub- face arbitrary arrest and The head of the U.N. mission
An Afghan women's soccer team poses for a photo in Kabul, lic spaces and daily life, detention, threats and cen- in Afghanistan, Roza Otun-
Afghanistan, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. and the restrictions have sorship, the mission said. bayeva, said rights must be
Associated Press sparked global condem- "We pay tribute to and upheld to ensure the coun-
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) brace and uphold human nation. express our solidarity with try's future prosperity, cohe-
— The Taliban must em- rights obligations in Af- The U.N. mission, highlight- Afghan human rights de- sion and stability.q