UN Chief Expresses Concerns over Situation in Niger

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed Monday great concern over the tense political situation in Niger.

In a statement, the Deputy Spokesman for UN Chief Farhan Haq said, "The secretary-general is concerned over the continued detention of President Mohammed Bazoum and the failure so far to restore constitutional order in Niger."

According to Farhan, Guterres reaffirmed his full support for the ongoing mediation efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The UN Chief also affirmed the urgent need to ensure that life-saving humanitarian work continues unhindered and that the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which provides a vital link to remote communities in Niger, is allowed to operate and continue to serve those communities, the spokesman said.

The UN secretary-general's special representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, has visited Nigeria to support good offices to regional stakeholders, he noted.

The visit came a few days after ECOWAS gave a one-week ultimatum to the military junta, after whose expiration the regional bloc vowed to take all necessary measures, including the use of force, to restore constitutional order in Niger.