Ousted President of Niger Republic, Muhammad Bazoum in a text message to a trusted friend which was made public said, “I’m being kept isolated and forced to eat dry rice”.
It be recalled, after the coup that overthrew his government on July 26, 2023, Bazoum has been held by the military junta.
The military had refused to reinstall him back to power in spite of several appeals by ECOWAS.
Instead, the military junta decided to cut diplomatic ties with Nigeria, Togo, US, and France.
In a text message 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.
The Nigerien embattled leader, also said he has been living without electricity for a week, though 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 the phone.
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(Tribune)
