Some cities in Niger are facing rolling blackouts following Sunday’s sanctions by ECOWAS.
PREMIUM TIMES confirmed from a businessman who shuttles Katsina and Niger and prefers not to be named for security reasons that the power outage is believed by residents to be due to the sanctions on the coup plotters.
BBC also reported Niger’s electricity company Nigelec saying Nigeria cut its supply. Nigeria is a major supplier of electricity to Niger, its neighbour to the North.
ECOWAS on Sunday imposed sanctions including travel ban and a blockade on Niger pending the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum who was ousted by the military on 26 July. It also threatened the use of force and summoned defense chiefs of the sub-region.
According to news reports, defense chiefs are today (Wednesday) meeting in Abuja. However, Mali, Niger, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso and Guinea were absent from the meeting.
Additionally, a delegation from ECOWAS led by former military head of state Abdulsalami Abubakar is meeting in Niger on Wednesday to continue mediation.
France has commenced evacuation of its nationals and other European nationals on Tuesday. As at the time of this report, at least 350 French nationals have been evacuated from Niger, the foreign ministry said.
