(Bloomberg) --
The US will freeze economic and security assistance to Niger if the country fails to restore its president following a military coup earlier this week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Washington is ramping up pressure on Niger to reinstate detained President Mohamed Bazoum a day after the United Nations Security Council condemned the latest coup in Africa’s Sahel region, which has been increasingly rocked by conflict.
The economic and security partnership between Niger and the United States “depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days,” Blinken said during a visit to Canberra on Saturday, adding that he had spoken with Bazoum earlier in the day.
“The very significant assistance that we have in place and is making a material difference in the lives of the people of Niger, is clearly in jeopardy,” Blinken said.
The US has been a key source of assistance to Niger. Western countries in particular have been vocal in condemning his ouster as Niger now stands to join a string of military-run states in the region including Mali and Burkina Faso, which are more closely aligned to Russia than to the West.
The European Union also cut off financial support and security cooperation with Niger and called for the full restoration of constitutional order, according to a statement by Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat.
On Friday, the UN issued a joint statement which “strongly condemned” the coup, gaining support from Russia and China, which have increasingly vief for influence in the region in recent years.
Washington’s latest condemnation comes a day after Niger’s presidential guard chief General Abdourahamane Tiani named himself as the country’s new leader, after his forces detained Bazoum earlier this week.
Read more: Five Things We Know About Niger’s New Military Leader
A former French colony, Niger has been considered a reliable partner to the West in the Sahel, which has experienced persistent political and economic instability. France and the US maintain bases in the country as part of international efforts to fight jihadists in the region, while the European Union sees it as an ally in its efforts to tackle illegal immigration from Africa.
