Niger coup: Military juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso voice support for coup leaders

Описание: Military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso voiced support on Monday for leaders of the coup in Niger, following an ultimatum from West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS that it would use force to “restore constitutional order” in the country.

“Mali and Burkina Faso warn that any military intervention against Niger is tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso,” a spokesperson for the Burkina Faso government said.

The warning from the neighbouring juntas came as France has begun evacuating its citizens from Niger. The European Union and the U.S. have not begun official evacuations, but continue to monitor the situation.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Tuesday it was not aware of any threats to U.S. citizens.

Meanwhile, the head of the UN office for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, has said the organization supports ECOWAS and raised the concern that the situation in Niger would further destabilize the region.

“My concern is that if measures are not taken or this ratio is not reversed, it's very likely that the spread of terrorism in the region can increase,” Simão said.

ECOWAS has imposed sanctions and a national assets freeze on Niger in the wake of the coup.

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