“I am being kept isolated and forced to eat dry rice”, Niger Republic President, Mohamed Bazoum, who had been ousted by the military junta, has said.
Recall that after the coup in Niger on July 26, 2023, Bazoum has been held by the junta.
The junta has refused to reinstall Bazoum, and has cut diplomatic ties with Nigeria, Togo, U.S, and France.
After the ECOWAS ultimatum expired last Sunday, it’s Chairman, President Bola Tinubu, had scheduled another meeting of the bloc for Thursday.
According to text messages to a friend quoted by CNN, Bazoum said he had been “deprived of all human contact” since Friday, with no one supplying him food or medicine.
He also said is living without electricity for a week, a normal occurrence for all Nigeriens after Nigeria cut off electric power in response to the coup.
Bazoum said all of the perishable food he was supplied with has since gone bad, and he is now eating dry pasta and rice.
Despite his isolation, Bazoum has been in contact with the outside world.
Though denied the chance to speak with acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland during her visit to Niamey, the Nigerien capital, on Monday, Bazoum spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on phone.
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