Niger Ousted President Forced To Eat Dry Rice, Denied Access To Medicine

Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s democratically elected president who was deposed by the military junta, is said to be in a hostile environment.

Bazoum stated in a series of text messages to a friend obtained by CNN on Wednesday that he has been “deprived of all human contact” and that no one has provided him with food or medicine.

According to the former president, all of the perishable food he was given has since gone bad, and he is now forced to consume dry spaghetti and grains.

According to the messages, Bazoum also stated that he has been without electricity for a week due to a sanction imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The military authorities of the country rejected a tripartite peace mission from ECOWAS, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday.

The diplomatic overtures were called off when a late-night communication from Niger’s leaders indicated their inability to host the delegation.

There are reports that Victoria Nuland, the United States acting deputy secretary of state, was denied permission to meet with coup leader Abdourahamane Tiani or Bazoum.

Instead, she spent two hours talking with other army officers.

ECOWAS leaders are scheduled to gather in Nigeria on Thursday to discuss the next steps, especially since Niger’s military junta rejected the bloc’s deadline to reinstate Bazoum on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Rhissa Ag Boula, a former rebel commander and minister in Bazoum’s government, announced the formation of an anti-junta resistance force that will “work to reestablish order” in Niger.

The Resistance Council for the Republic (CRR) requested the military to stand down and arrest Niger’s self-proclaimed president, Abdourahamane Tiani.

The council further stated that “it will use all necessary means to eliminate this perfidious practice of rogue and irresponsible soldiers questioning people’s choices.”