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REUTERS/Mahamadou Hamidou Acquire Licensing RightsTOLEDO, Spain, Aug 31 (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers meet in Spain on Thursday to discuss their response to last month's coup in Niger - including possible sanctions - as they also consider news of military officers declaring they have seized power in Gabon. Borrell said the EU was "moving forward" with work on a legal framework for sanctions against the junta in Niger and the foreign ministers would discuss it further on Thursday. Both the EU and ECOWAS have already imposed punitive economic and political measures on Niger but the framework would allow the EU to target specific individuals and organisations. Borrell said on Wednesday after an EU defence ministers' meeting that the EU would seek to mirror any measures taken by ECOWAS. Diplomats said another subject of discussion was how the EU should respond if ECOWAS asks for financial help for a military intervention to restore Niger's ousted government.

Persons: Ibro Amadou, Mahamadou, Dmytro Kuleba, Hassoumi Massoudou, Niger's, Omar Touray, Josep Borrell, Borrell, David Latona, Andrew Gray, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Nigerien, REUTERS, Rights, Union, Ukrainian Foreign, ECOWAS, Wednesday, West, EU, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Rights TOLEDO, Spain, Gabon, West, Central, Toledo, Ukraine, West Africa's, EU

☆ Fact Check-Video does not show Wagner mercenaries landing in Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A years-old video of a plane landing is being shared on social media to falsely claim it’s proof of Wagner mercenary fighters arriving in Niger in 2023. Authorities in Niger have officially confirmed the presence of Wagner fighters in the country” (here). Reuters did not independently verify the location of the 2006 video, though the deserted area around the runway coupled with buildings close by is markedly similar to the topography around Khartoum International Airport. Reuters’ reporting on the coup in Niger can be found (here). The video dates to at least 2006, thus is unrelated to Wagner and the 2023 coup in Niger.

Persons: Wagner, Mohamed Bazoum, Read Organizations: West African, ECOWAS, Wagner PMC, Authorities, Facebook, Reuters, YouTube, Khartoum International, Google, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: Niger, Khartoum, Sudan

CNN —France’s ambassador to Niger is staying put in the West African country in defiance of an ultimatum by its military rulers ordering his exit within 48 hours on Friday. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Itte will not leave Niger, despite the expiration of the junta’s deadline. Up to 1,500 French soldiers are stationed in Niger, which has been a major partner of the French in the Sahel region. “As already expressed, the European Union does not and will not recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch in Niger,” Massrali added. Also at the weekend, pro-junta demonstrators, mostly nationals of neighboring Benin and Burkina Faso thronged the streets to express support for Niger’s military administration.

Persons: CNN —, Sylvain Itte, Emmanuel Macron, Itte, Macron, ”, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Monday, “, Nabila Massrali, Massrali Organizations: CNN, Nigerien, European Union, EU, Niger, ECOWAS Locations: Niger, West, ” France, France, Sahel, European, ., Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali

☆ Algeria proposes transition to resolve Niger crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 29 (Reuters) - Algeria is proposing an initiative to resolve the political crisis in neighbouring Niger with a six-month transition period led by a civilian, Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said on Tuesday. Attaf, who recently toured West African states, said "most of the countries we have talked to are against military intervention to end the crisis". Algeria has repeatedly said it was against military intervention, pointing to the chaos that followed NATO action in Libya in 2011 during its uprising against longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi. Algerian officials have spoken three times since the coup to the Niger military leader, who wants a transitional period of up to three years, Attaf said. Last week Algerian state television said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune had denied permission to France for a possible military operation in Niger, but France denied it had sought any such permission.

Persons: Francis Kokoroko, Ahmed Attaf, Attaf, Muammar Gaddafi, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Lamine Chikhi, Angus McDowall, Andrew Cawthorne, Alex Richardson Organizations: Defense, REUTERS, West, ECOWAS, NATO, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Republic of Niger, Accra, Ghana, Algeria, Niger, West African, Libya, Sahel, Algerian, France

☆ Macron says French ambassador will stay in Niger, despite pressure from junta to leave
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Michel Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron gives a speech in front of French ambassadors during the conference of ambassadors at the Elysee Palace, Paris, France, August 28, 2023. TERESA SUAREZ/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - France's ambassador to Niger will stay in the country despite pressure to leave from leaders of a recent coup, President Emmanuel Macron said in a speech to diplomats on Monday. Macron also reiterated France's support to Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, whose decision not to resign Macron called courageous. It's based on the courage of President Bazoum, and on the commitments of our ambassador on the ground who is remaining despite all the pressure, despite all the declarations made by the illegitimate authorities," said Macron. On Friday, Niger's junta, which seized power in a coup on July 26, said it had ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, TERESA SUAREZ, Macron, Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Sylvain Itte, Michel Rose, Blandine Henault, Tassilo Hummel, Sudip Kar, Ingrid Melander Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Niger's, West, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Niger, French, United States, Europe

☆ East Timor condemns Myanmar's expulsion of top diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military government has ordered East Timor's top diplomat to leave the country, the government of East Timor - a vocal critic of Myanmar's leadership - said in a statement condemning the rare action. Myanmar's government, which assumed power in a coup in 2021, has not made any announcement on the matter and a spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. East Timor politicians have been outspoken critics of Myanmar's military government and President Jose Ramos-Horta has met with a top representative from Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government (NUG), which opposes military rule. The country's charge d'affaires must leave Myanmar by Sept. 1, NUG human rights minister Aung Myo Min said on Facebook. In protest against the 2021 coup, many countries have charges d'affaires in Myanmar instead of ambassadors.

Persons: Pope Francis, Soe Zeya, Myanmar's, Jose Ramos, Aung Myo Min, Christopher Cushing Organizations: San Football, REUTERS, Rights, East, . East, National Unity Government, Facebook, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Yangon, Rights JAKARTA, East Timor's, East Timor, ., . East Timor, Horta

CNN —Niger’s junta ordered the French ambassador in Niamey on Friday to leave the country within 48 hours, according to the Nigerien Foreign Ministry. In a statement published by state-run broadcaster ORTN, the Nigerien Foreign Ministry said the ambassador Sylvain Itte had refused to attend a meeting scheduled for Friday with the country’s foreign minister. The ministry said Nigerien authorities had withdrawn Itte’s credentials in light of the refusal, also citing “other actions by the French government that are against Niger’s interest.”“France has taken note of the putschists’ request,” the French Foreign Ministry told AFP late Friday. “The putschists do not have the authority to make this demand, the ambassador’s approval comes only from the legitimate, elected Nigerien authorities” the ministry said. CNN has reached out to the French Foreign Ministry for comment.

Persons: CNN —, Sylvain Itte, ”, “ Organizations: CNN, Nigerien Foreign Ministry, ORTN, Nigerien, French Foreign Ministry, AFP, US State Department, Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Niamey, France

☆ Niger orders troops to go on 'maximum alert'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Boureima Balima | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The document, which was shared widely online on Saturday, said the order to be on maximum alert would allow forces to respond adequately in case of any attack and "avoid a general surprise". The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the July 26 coup, but has said it is ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail. On Friday, the bloc downplayed this threat and said it was "determined to bend backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts," although an intervention remained one of the options the table. "For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger, nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to invade the country, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told reporters. Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Omar Alieu Touray, Camillus, Alessandra Prentice, David Holmes Organizations: West, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, Camillus Eboh, Abuja

CNN —Yevgeny Prigozhin turned the Wagner Group from a shadowy band of mercenaries into a feared military powerhouse operating across multiple countries on three continents. The kind of clear chain of command that is common in traditional military does not exist in Wagner, which makes Prigozhin’s demise a potentially existential problem for the group. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. A Russian military delegation went to the Libyan city of Benghazi this week to meet with Haftar, who has been supported by Wagner for several years. He said the cracks in the foundations of West African and Central African countries that have leaned on the Wagner Group for support could begin to emerge now.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, ”, Natasha Lindstaedt, “ It’s, ” Lindstaedt, – Wagner, Dmitriy Utkin, Valeriy Chekalov –, “ Wagner, Russia ” Wagner, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, “, ” Wagner, Huseyn Aliyev, –, ” Aliyev, Aliyev, Lindstaedt, Putin, Stringer, Yevgeny Progozhin, Khalifa, Haftar, Yevkurov, ” Oluwole, there’s, ” Prigozhin, Christopher O, Ogunmodede, couldn’t, Sergey Lavrov Organizations: CNN, Wagner, University of Essex, Russia, University of Glasgow, Kremlin, Ministry of Defense, Prigozhin's Press Service, Russian Ministry of Defense, Kommersant, UK Ministry of Defense, Getty Images Security, Russian, Central African, Forces, Reuters, Libyan, Central Africa, Institute for Security Studies, Central, Wagner Group, Politics, Russia’s Locations: Moscow, Russia, Russia’s, Russian, United States, Ukraine, Africa, Middle, Bakhmut, Rostov, AFP, Syria, St . Petersburg, Mali, Crimea, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Libya, Libyan, Benghazi, West African, “, Mali …

☆ Niger junta expels French ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Niger's junta supporters take part in a demonstration in front of a French army base in Niamey, Niger, August 11, 2023. In a statement, the junta-appointed foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador was a response to actions taken by the French government that were "contrary to the interests of Niger." It said these included the envoy's refusal to respond to an invitation to meet Niger's new foreign minister. The French foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The deterioration in Niger-France relations echoes post-coup developments in Mali and Burkina Faso, which have booted out French forces and severed long-standing ties.

Persons: Mahamadou, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Niger's, Boureima Balima, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Anait Miridzhanian, Chris Reese, Andrew Heavens, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, West, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, French, Burkina Faso, Mali, France

☆ Niger allows Mali, Burkina Faso troops to enter its territory in case of attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view of the streets in the capital Niamey, Niger July 28, 2023. Any escalation risks further destabilising the insurgency-torn region as Niger's junta-led neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso, have said they would back Niger in any conflict with ECOWAS. On Thursday, the three allies' foreign ministers said they had met in the Nigerien capital Niamey to discuss boosting cooperation on security and other joint issues. The statement said the ministers welcomed the signing on Thursday by Niger junta leader General Abdourahamane Tiani of two orders "authorising the Defense and Security Forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Nigerien territory in the event of an attack." Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: General Abdourahamane Tiani, Tiemoko Diallo, Alessandra Prentice, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West, ECOWAS, Niger, Defense and Security Forces, Burkinabe, Malian Ministers, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, Rights BAMAKO, Mali, Burkina, Burkina Faso, Nigerien

[1/4] Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meets with caretaker former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand August 24, 2023. Srettha sailed through a parliamentary vote to become premier on Tuesday and will head a tricky coalition that includes parties backed by a royalist military that has repeatedly manoeuvred against his Pheu Thai Party. His meeting with the outgoing premier and former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha underscores a fragile detente in Thai politics, with Prayuth the architect of a 2014 coup against the last Pheu Thai government. Thaksin and Pheu Thai have denied the existence of a deal with their rivals in the military and conservative establishment. Prayuth, who has a testy relationship with the Shinawatra family, told Srettha healing rifts was important.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Prayuth Chan, Srettha, Prayuth, Pheu, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Chayut Setboonsarng, Martin Petty, William Maclean Organizations: Government, REUTERS Acquire, Thai, Pheu Thai Party, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, Thai

CNN —Thailand’s parliament on Tuesday voted for real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin to be the country’s next prime minister, bringing an end to three months of political deadlock. Srettha, 60, was the sole candidate put forward by the populist Pheu Thai Party and received 482 votes out of a possible 747 in Thailand’s bicameral parliament. “I want to be a prime minister who can make the difference,” Srettha told CNN. During campaigning, Pheu Thai pledged to give 10,000 baht (about $300) in a digital wallet to every citizen over the age of 16. But with an 11-member coalition that includes bitter military rivals, it is unclear whether Pheu Thai can govern effectively.

Persons: CNN —, Srettha Thavisin, Thaksin Shinawatra, Srettha, Pheu Thai, Pracharath, Prayut Chan, Pheu Thai’s, Thaksin’s, Yingluck Shinawatra, Thais, Thaksin, “, ” Srettha Organizations: CNN, Pheu Thai Party, Pheu Thai, United Thai Nation Party, National Institute of Development Administration, Reuters, “, Claremont Graduate School, Procter & Gamble Locations: Thailand, Pheu, Thai, “ Thailand, United Kingdom, United States

CNN —The African Union has suspended Niger following the takeover of the West African country by a military junta on July 26. The council will review an assessment of the “economic, social and security implications of deploying a Standby Force in Niger,” it said. ECOWAS chiefs had initially given the junta a seven-day ultimatum to restore power or face consequences, including military action. That planned action did not happen as many attempts at dialogue and diplomacy have been made by ECOWAS and allies such as US and the European Union. The African Union affirmed its “solidarity” with ECOWAS’s efforts to restore constitutional order in Niger “through diplomatic means,” it said.

Persons: –, “, Security Abdel, Fatau Musah, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, Mohamed Bazoum, ” Organizations: CNN, African Union, Security, West, Economic, West African States, Force, European Union, Political Affairs, Peace, Union Locations: Niger, West, Republic of Niger, ”, Ghana

CNN —Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin says he is in Africa “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even freer,” in a video circulating on pro-Russian military blogs Monday. In the clip, Prigozhin is seen holding a rifle in a desert area while wearing camouflage. “The former colonizers are trying to keep the people of African countries in check. And this is the (the reason for the) love for PMC Wagner, this is the high efficiency of PMC Wagner. Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Wagner forces were heavily involved in capturing the eastern cities of Soledar and Bakhmut.

Persons: CNN — Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, ” Prigozhin, ” Wagner, Sudan’s, ”, “, PMC Wagner, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN, “, Central African, PMC Wagner, PMC Locations: Africa “, Russia, Africa, Russian, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Central African Republic, In Sudan, West, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Soledar, Belarus

The former prime minister then left on a police truck, headed to the Supreme Court. The Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai party, which came second in the May election, will nominate its choice for the country’s next leader Tuesday: real estate mogul Srettha Thavisin. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra while flanked by his son Panthongtae Shinawatra and daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok, Thailand on August 22. Pheu Thai Party leader Cholnan Srikaew said in a statement Monday that the coalition would not include Move Forward Party, which won the most votes in the election. In 2006, Thaksin was ousted and, facing a potential prison sentence over corruption charges, went into self-imposed exile.

Persons: Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Thaksin’s, Yingluck Shinawatra, Paetongtarn, Srettha Thavisin, Palang Pracharath, Prayut Chan, Yingluck, Panthongtae Shinawatra, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Athit, Thais, Cholnan Srikaew, –, ”, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Prayut, “, “ We’ve, ” Thitinan Organizations: CNN, Manchester City Football Club, UN, Mueang International, Supreme, Thaksin, United Thai Nation Party, Thai, Thai Party, Party, National Institute of Development Administration, Reuters, Facebook, Institute of Security, Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Forward Party Locations: Thailand, New York, Singapore, Bangkok’s, Thai, Don Mueang, Bangkok

[1/2] Thousands of young Nigeriens gather as they heed call to sign up as non-military volunteers to back up the junta in the capital Niamey, Niger August 19, 2023. That is what made us halt this census," Hima said by the stadium after the crowds dispersed. POSSIBLE ATTACK"They called on the youth to respond to a possible attack on our soil. An ECOWAS delegation flew into Niamey on Saturday to hold talks with the junta, showing that efforts to resolve the standoff peacefully are still underway. At the stadium on Saturday, 35-year-old Kader Haliou said patriotism was not the only motivation for those wanting to help the junta.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mohamed Bazoum, Younoussa Hima, Hima, Tahirou Seydou, nodded, Kader Haliou, Alessandra Prentice, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Niger's, Young People, Fatherland, Economic, West African States, ECOWAS, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, West, Africa's

☆ At least 21 civilians killed in central Mali attack - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAMAKO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at least 21 civilians in an attack on a village in central Mali's insurgency-hit Mopti region on Friday, two local sources said on Saturday. The unidentified assailants struck in the afternoon, targeting the village of Yarou near the town of Bandiagara, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The toll is heavy between 20 and 30 killed and wounded," one of the sources said by phone. The second source said the reported death toll stood at 21 and included women, while 11 others were wounded. Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Tiemoko Diallo, Alessandra Prentice, Alison Williams Organizations: Reuters, Islamic, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Yarou, Bandiagara, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Sahel, Mali

REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko Acquire Licensing RightsABUJA/NIAMEY, Aug 19 (Reuters) - A delegation from West Africa's main regional bloc ECOWAS met Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and held talks with junta leader General Abdourahmane Tiani in the capital Niamey on Saturday, a Nigerian presidential spokesperson said. The group that flew in was led by Nigeria's former military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar and included ECOWAS commission president Omar Touray, the source said. "After meeting .... (junta leader) General Abdoulrahmane Tchiani, the ECOWAS delegation in Niger have also visited President Mohamed Bazoum this evening," he wrote on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. There was no immediate comment from the junta, which has held president Mohamed Bazoum since seizing power despite international calls for his release. ECOWAS has taken a harder stance on the Niger coup, the wider region's seventh in three years, than it did on previous ones.

Persons: Francis Kokoroko, Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahmane Tiani, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Omar Touray, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, General Abdoulrahmane Tchiani, Tiani, Alessandra Prentice, Toby Chopra, Jane Merriman Organizations: Chiefs, Defense, REUTERS, Rights, ECOWAS, West, Twitter, Islamic, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Republic of Niger, Accra, Ghana, Rights ABUJA, NIAMEY, West Africa's, Niamey, Niger, al Qaeda, Islamic State

CNN —A Swiss national and 13 Myanmar citizens were arrested by the military junta on August 8 for working on a film authorities say harms Buddhist culture and tradition, state-funded media has reported. According to the junta, all 14 people allegedly worked on the film “Don’t Expect Anything,” which was released on July 24 on YouTube and TikTok, Myawady Daily said. Myawady added that the junta believe that the film is intended to mislead audiences about Buddhists and Buddhist monks, and that it harms Buddhist culture and tradition. “The local Swiss representation is in contact with the relevant authorities,” the spokesperson added. A Dutch tourist was sentenced to three months hard labor in 2016 after unplugging a speaker relaying a sermon.

Persons: CNN —, Myawady, ”, unplugging Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Locations: Swiss, Myanmar, Myawady, Yangon

☆ US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon arrives in Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon arrived in Niger on Saturday, the State Department announced, taking up her post as the United States and partners continue to grapple with the military takeover in that country. “Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon has traveled to Niamey to lead our diplomatic mission in Niger and bolster efforts to help resolve the political crisis at this critical time. A source told CNN that one of the first things FitzGibbon intends to do is call Bazoum. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with the detained president numerous times, but Nuland was not permitted to visit him during her trip to Niamey. Nuland was also not granted a meeting with the self-proclaimed new leader of Niger, General Abdourahmane Tiani, and instead met with the self-proclaimed chief of defense, Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, and three colonels supporting him.

Persons: Kathleen FitzGibbon, Matthew Miller, FitzGibbon, Mohamed Bazoum, State Victoria Nuland –, Vedant Patel, ”, Bazoum, ” Patel, “, Antony Blinken, Nuland, Abdourahmane Tiani, Moussa Salaou Barmou Organizations: CNN, State Department, ”, State Victoria, Economic, West African, Senate Locations: Niger, United States, Niamey, West Africa, West African, West African States, ”, Nuland

☆ West Africa delegation met ousted president Bazoum during Niger visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 22, 2022. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 19 (Reuters) - A delegation from West Africa's main regional bloc met Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and junta leader General Abdourahmane Tiani during a visit to the capital Niamey on Saturday, a Nigerian presidential spokesperson said in an online post. Reporting by Felix Onuah Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Mike Segar, Niger's, General Abdourahmane Tiani, Felix Onuah, Alessandra Prentice, Alison Williams Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, West Africa's, Niamey

☆ West African bloc holds talks in Niger with junta
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense staff brief the press on plans to deploy its standby force to the Republic of Niger, in Accra, Ghana, August 18, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko Acquire Licensing RightsABUJA, Nigeria Aug 19 (Reuters) - A delegation from West Africa's main regional bloc ECOWAS flew to Niger's capital Niamey on Saturday to hold talks with the junta, an ECOWAS source told Reuters, as the bloc pursues diplomatic ways to overturn the July 26 coup. ECOWAS has taken a harder stance on the Niger coup, the wider region's seventh in three years, than it did on previous ones. The credibility of the bloc is at stake because it had said it would tolerate no further such overthrows. Reporting by Felix Onuah Writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Francis Kokoroko, Mohamed Bazoum, Omar Touray, Felix Onuah, Alessandra Prentice, Toby Chopra Organizations: Chiefs, Defense, REUTERS, Rights, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Republic of Niger, Accra, Ghana, Rights ABUJA, Nigeria, West Africa's, Niamey, Niger

☆ Exclusive: British police investigate exiled former Myanmar envoy for trespass
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( John Geddie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Since his protest, praised by the British government at the time, Kyaw Zwar Minn has stayed at the northwest London ambassador's residence, a mansion surrounded by razor wire and CCTV cameras. Britain last year urged Kyaw Zwar Minn to leave the residence, citing pressure from the junta, Reuters reported. Earlier this week Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police over "an allegation that he trespassed on diplomatic premises," said Neil Swift, his London-based lawyer at Peters & Peters. Myanmar's embassy in London, Britain's Foreign Office and London's Metropolitan Police did not respond to requests for comment. Kyaw Zwar Minn was interviewed by police on Aug. 15 but charges have not yet been brought, according to Swift.

Persons: Kyaw, Toby Melville, Kyaw Zwar Minn, Aung San, Zwar Minn, Neil Swift, Peters & Peters, Swift, Chris Gunness, Suu Kyi, John Geddie, Andrew MacAskill, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, British, Reuters, Peters &, Union of Myanmar, Metropolitan Police, National Unity Government, Vienna Convention, Diplomatic Relations, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, Britain, London, United Kingdom, Aung San Suu Kyi, British, Union, Myanmar's, Vienna

☆ U.N. humanitarian chief appeals to Myanmar generals for greater aid access
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, attends an interview with Reuters in Kabul, Afghanistan, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Ali Khara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 18 (Reuters) - The chief of the United Nations humanitarian relief agency has urged Myanmar's ruling military to allow greater access to 18 million people in need of aid, describing the situation as critical as a post-coup conflict intensifies. "Successive crises in Myanmar have left one third of the population in need of humanitarian aid," Griffiths said in a statement. Griffiths said humanitarian relief organisations were struggling with insufficient resources and urged international donors to do more, with just 22% of the annual funding requirements received by mid-year. The U.N. Human Rights report in June said the lack of aid access may amount to war crimes, while a team of U.N. investigators last week said war crimes were "increasingly frequent and brazen".

Persons: Martin Griffiths, Ali Khara, Myanmar's, Min Aung Hlaing, Griffiths, Martin Petty Organizations: Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency, Reuters, REUTERS, United Nations, Reuters Staff, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Myanmar

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