West African leaders threaten force to stop Niger coup
Nigeriens participate in a march called by supporters of coup leader Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger, July 30, 2023. Days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country’s future and some are calling out the junta’s reasons for seizing control. The sign reads: “Down with France, long live Putin.”
International condemnation for last week’s military coup in Niger continued to grow over the weekend. West African leaders have threatened economic sanctions, travel bans, and possible use of force if the president is not reinstated within a week. And, a series of drone attacks in Moscow on Sunday brought the war closer to Russian citizens. Although Ukraine has not taken responsibility, President Volodomyr Zelenskiy said afterward that attacks on Russian territory are an “inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process” in the war which has ravaged Ukraine for nearly 18 months. Also, the blast that killed dozens at a political rally in Pakistan this weekend exposed the deepening rivalries between the country’s powerful militant groups. Officials say ISIS is responsible for the explosion. Plus, a Brazilian masterpiece comes to the US.