AFRICAN PEACE MISSION LEADERS CONDEMN COUP DETAT IN NIGER

St Petersburg, Russia

We the African Heads of State leading Africa’s Peace Mission to Ukraine and Russia condemn the coup d’état in the Republic of Niger and call on the military establishment to ensure the safety of President Mohamed Bazoum. We further call for the return of the military forces to their barracks and to ensure the speedy restoration of the democratic order in Niger.

We reject unlawful seizure of power by any group or individual as it undermines democracy, creates instability and reverses development in our continent. We support the position of ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations in their call for all parties to return to constitutional rule urgently and to refrain from further interference with the democratically elected government of the Republic of Niger.

We make this call as we gather in St. Petersburg to forge closer ties with the Russian Federation and to continue with the peace mission that we started last month. In this regard we will be meeting with President Vladimir Putin to further discuss actions that can be taken on confidence building measures that will set both Russia and Ukraine on a path to peace. Our commitment to the end of this conflict does, which has claimed lives and increased our continent’s food insecurity does not blind us to equally devastating developments within Africa.

Signed by the following heads of states and government.

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT AZALI ASSOUMANI, REPUBLIC OF THE COMOROS

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI, ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT MACKY SALL, REPUBLIC OF SENEGAL

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA, REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA 

HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI, REPUBLIC OF UGANDA