Sources reported that General Salifou Mody, one of the officers involved in the coup in Niger last week, arrived in neighboring Mali on Wednesday as the junta in Mali declared support for the coup leaders despite international pressure.
Former army chief of staff, General Salifou Mody, who had been dismissed in April, arrived in the capital city of Bamako at the head of a delegation, as confirmed by a senior Nigerien official and a Malian security official to local media.
Niger’s junta is facing international pressure, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has warned of potential use of force if the junta fails to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum by Sunday.
The military chiefs of ECOWAS member countries are scheduled to convene in Nigeria on Wednesday for three days of consultations.
On Wednesday, a delegation led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar is expected to arrive in Niger.
The ruling juntas of Mali and Burkina Faso, which came to power in 2020 and 2022, respectively, issued a joint statement on Monday warning that they would consider any military intervention in Niger as a “declaration of war” against their own nations.