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- US Secretary of State reassures deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum and his allies they will get them released.
- The US announced cutting more than R9 billion funding of government programmes in Niger over the coup.
- French forces started withdrawing from Niger after a junta directive on Tuesday.
The United States on Tuesday said it was cutting a huge chunk of its government support to Niger because of the coup and refusal to release deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum and his family.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Bazoum, who is under house arrest, over the phone on Monday and reassured him that "the United States calls for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained following the military takeover".
The US has not made much progress since the July putsch in Niger. In August, the military junta stymied the US envoy's mission to hold talks with the ousted president.
With not much to leverage, the US has imposed new sanctions on Niger.
Matthew Miller, the US Department Spokesperson, said, "Pursuant to Section 7008 of the Department of State's annual appropriations act, the United States is suspending most US assistance to the government of Niger."
This is a follow-up to the first restrictive measures put in place on 5 August when the US cut funding to the tune of R3.8 billion ($200 million).
READ | As coups spread and UN peacekeepers leave, the AU doles out money to plug some of the gaps
As part of the new restrictions, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a US aid agency, has cut all its support to Niger.
The flagship project in Niger for the Millennium Challenge Corporation was the Niger Regional Transport Compact.
The project was set to link Niger with Benin and create a route to increase regional trade, attract investment, and contribute to the region's efforts to reduce poverty through economic growth.
The project was in the preparatory phase, which cost R5.7 billion ($302 million).
While the US has cut direct support for government projects, it said it was still going to continue with humanitarian work.
"We underscore that we will maintain our life-saving humanitarian, food, and health assistance to benefit the people of Niger. The United States also intends to continue to work with regional governments, including in Niger, to advance shared interests in West Africa," said Miller.
He added that "any resumption of US assistance will require action by the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland to usher in democratic governance in a quick and credible timeframe".
Meanwhile, the French army on Tuesday began its withdrawal from Niger after a junta directive disposing of Bazoum, a French ally.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
