Mutinous soldiers in Niger sever French military ties while ''hostage'' president pleads for US help

With two days remaining before a deadline set by the West African regional bloc to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face possible force, Mr. Bazoum in a plea published in a Washington Post opinion piece said, “I write this as a hostage” and urged the U.S. and partners to help

Niger's military junta says it is severing military agreements with France, its former colonial ruler, firing some of the previous government's key ambassadors and warning citizens of the West African nation to watch for foreign Armies and spies. A regional delegation's efforts at negotiation quickly deadlocked.

The junta's announcement on state television late on Thursday deepens the post-coup isolation for what had been the United States' and allies' last major security partner in the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert that Islamic extremist groups have turned into the global centre of terrorism.

With two days remaining before a deadline set by the West African regional bloc to release and reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face possible force, Mr. Bazoum in a plea published in a Washington Post opinion piece said, “I write this as a hostage" and urged the U.S. and partners to help.

Niger's mutinous soldiers face a Sunday deadline set by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, whose envoys arrived on Thursday for talks. But those discussions stalled, with the delegation unable to meet the coup leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, or go into the capital, Niamey, according to a person with close knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to comment.

The junta's announcement brought further scepticism about any deal. It said it was terminating the military agreements and protocols signed with France and announced the end of functions for Niger's ambassadors to France, the United States, Togo and neighbouring Nigeria, which is leading ECOWAS efforts on dialogue.

“All aggression or attempt at aggression against the state of Niger will see an immediate response and without warning,” said a spokesman for the coup leaders, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, with the exception of Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, which have expressed support for the coup.

Mali and Burkina Faso have said such an intervention would be a declaration of war against them.