The United States (U.S) government is refraining from labelling the overthrow of Nigers democratic government a coup and the military junta coup plotters as a precautionary move to preserve Americas interest.
The visit of U.S. acting Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, to Niger on Monday met a dead-end, as she disclosed that the junta refused to grant her an audience with the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and junta leader, General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
She, however, met with the coupists chief of defence, Moussa Salaou Barmou, a general trained by the American military forces, who justified the takeover and insisted that Bazoum would continue to be detained.
Officials acquainted with the matter told NBC the restraint the U.S. is exercising from declaring the overthrow a coup is only a means to an end, a bargaining chip to ensure that democracy is restored to Niger. Once the U.S. government declares the ousting of Mr Bazoum a coup, Niger would cease to benefit from all manner of training and financial aid from the U.S. as previously enjoyed. So far, they believe the junta is unwilling to give up those benefits.
Knowing what the junta wants and their capacity to provide it will be used to negotiate their demands, ultimately to return Niger to the leadership of its democratically-elected president, Bazoum, whose release they are also fighting for. We are trying to leverage the support that we have, which we know they want, a U.S. official told NBC.
Officials who accompanied Ms. Nuland to Niger had earlier said the coupists had grown defiant and unmoving in their mission to keep ruling the nation while holding the elected president hostage. But they were hopeful the hold-off from labelling it a coup may yield the desired outcome.
