"Niger's Junta Demands Regional Recognition Before Engaging in Talks, Activist Claims"

An activist with ties to Niger's junta has stated that the military rulers will not engage in talks with regional countries unless they recognize the new regime. The West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, has threatened military intervention if President Mohamed Bazoum is not released and reinstated. The junta has dismissed these warnings and rejected most attempts at dialogue. The risk of regional violence is heightened, and Western nations, who saw Niger as a democratic partner in combating extremism, are in a difficult position. The junta is entrenching itself, appointing a new government and stoking anti-French sentiment. The African Union is expected to meet to discuss the crisis, and some experts believe ECOWAS' insistence on force is a bluff to buy time. Aid workers are evacuating, and some Nigeriens have moved their families out of the capital in anticipation of a possible invasion. The activist claims that any attack on the palace will result in Bazoum's death, but those close to the president describe dire conditions and attempts to starve him.