Coup D’etat: Blackout As Nigeria Reportedly Cuts Power Supply to Niger Republic
- On Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023, some cities in Niger Republic experienced blackout as a result of the country’s coup last week
- Residents of the cities of Niamey, Maradi, and Zinder faced blackouts for up to five hours, reports indicated
- Nigelec, the electricity organizations of Niger, confirmed the development and noted that the power cuts are the result of Nigeria halting supply to its neighbour, following ECOWAS sanctions
Niger, Nigeria - Major cities in Niger are facing rolling blackouts following last week's coup in the West African country.
BBC News reported that Niger’s electricity company Nigelec confirmed the development and noted that it is because Nigeria cut its supply. Nigeria is a major supplier of electricity to Niger, its neighbour to the North.
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Coup: ECOWAS sanctions on Niger
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday, July 30, imposed sanctions including travel ban and a blockade on Niger pending the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted by the military on 26 July. It also threatened the use of force and summoned defense chiefs of the sub-region.
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According to news reports, defense chiefs are today (Wednesday, August 2nd, meeting in Abuja. However, Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso and Guinea were absent from the meeting.
Blackout in Niger
PREMIUM TIMES confirmed from a businessman who shuttles Katsina and Niger and prefers not to be named for security reasons that the power outage is believed by residents to be due to the sanctions on the coup plotters.
West African trade bloc Ecowas has put sanctions on Niger, but has not said if these include electricity supplies.
Speaking on Monday, Abdel-Fatau Musah, Ecowas commissioner for political affairs, peace and security, said an armed intervention would be a "last resort". But he insisted that the bloc had to "prepare for the eventuality".
ECOWAS has vowed to prevent further coups that have plagued the Sahel region in recent years, and Mr Musah said there was "a need to demonstrate that we cannot only bark but can bite".
European countries are currently evacuating its citizens from Niger.
Nigeria's TCN declines to comment on Niger power supply cut-out
However, the Transmission Company of Nigeria has declined to comment on the power cuts in Niger, ARISE TV reported.
Niger coup d'état: ECOWAS military chiefs hold emergency meeting in Abuja as war looms
Military chiefs from some West African countries have arrived at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja for a high-power delegation meeting over the current activities of military juntas in the Niger Republic.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) emergency gathering is being chairman of the military chiefs, Gen. Christopher Musa.
However, the seats reserved for Mali, Guinea Bissau, Niger, and Burkina Faso military chiefs are presently unoccupied as they appear to have ignored the meeting.
Coup d'état in Niger: Flashback to how popular pastor prophesied impending danger for Africa
A video has emerged showing popular Ghanaian cleric, Apostle Francis Amoako Attah, appearing to predict the coup d'état in Niger Republic.
On July 26, 2023, a coup d'état occurred in Niger, in which the country's presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and presidential guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta.
Making a flashback to how he predicted the occurrence, Apostle Attah reposted the clip of his prophecy.
Source: Legit.ng
