NIAMEY: Niger’s new military rulers on Wednesday accused France, the country’s traditional ally, of having released captured militants and breaching a ban on air space on the eve of a key summit on the Sahel’s latest crisis.
Leaders of the West African bloc ECOWAS are to meet in the Nigerian capital Abuja to mull their options, with diplomacy apparently edging out military intervention at present after a showdown last weekend.
Two weeks after a coup that toppled Niger’s elected president, the regime accused France of having “unilaterally freed captured terrorists” — a term for extremists conducting a bloody eight-year-old insurgency.
The extremists then gathered to plan an attack on “military positions in the tri-border area,” a hotspot region where the frontiers of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali converge, according to the statement issued by the coup leaders, called the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP).
“Events of an extreme gravity are unfolding in Niger as a result of the behavior of the French forces and their accomplices,” it declared.
It urged the security forces to “raise their alert level across the country” and on the public “to remain mobilized and vigilant.”
The regime also accused France of having flown a “military plane” from neighboring Chad into Niger air space on Wednesday, defying a ban imposed on Sunday.
The two allegations were rejected by a French government official.
“No terrorist has been freed by French forces,” the source said, adding that the flight had been “authorized by and coordinated with” Niger’s armed forces.
Thursday’s summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) takes place under the chairmanship of Nigeria, the regional superpower and advocate of a hard line against the coup.
Struggling to stem a cascade of putsches among its members, the bloc gave Niger’s military rulers until last Sunday to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face potential use of force.
But the coup leaders remained defiant, and the ultimatum passed without action.
On Tuesday, a bid to send a joint team of ECOWAS, UN and African Union (AU) representatives to the capital Niamey ran into the ground.
The coup leaders said they could not guarantee the mission’s “safety” in the light of what they said was public anger to sanctions imposed by ECOWAS.
Despite the failure, ECOWAS and Nigeria said they would pursue all options to resolve the crisis, and the United States emphasised a “peaceful” outcome even though it too had been rebuffed.
ECOWAS said it would “continue to deploy all measures in order to restore constitutional order” in Niger.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said through his spokesman that “no options have been taken off of the table” but diplomacy was the “best way forward.”
The United States sent veteran envoy Victoria Nuland to Niamey on Monday, but she came away empty-handed, being unable to meet Bazoum or even the new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tiani.
Despite this, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday he had spoken to Bazoum “to express our continued efforts to find a peaceful resolution” to the “current constitutional crisis.”
France, which had adopted a combative tone as the ECOWAS ultimatum loomed, also signalled a softer line.
A French diplomat said it was “up to ECOWAS to take a decision, of whatever kind, on restoring constitutional order in Niger.”
Bazoum, 63, was detained on July 26 by members of his presidential guard.
It is the fifth coup in Niger’s history since independence from France in 1960 — and the fourth in the ranks of the 15-nation ECOWAS since 2020.
Bazoum’s election in 2021 had helped Niger to cement close ties with France and the United States, which have major bases and troop deployments in the country.
Countries in the fragile Sahel are battling with an extremist insurgency that erupted in northern Mali in 2012, spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015 and now is causing jitters in states on the Gulf of Guinea.
The bloody campaign has been devastating for those three countries, which have a long history of turbulence and are among the poorest nations in the world.
Since their coups, Mali and Burkina Faso have fallen out with France, the region’s former colonial power and its traditional ally.
France last year withdrew its forces from those countries and refocussed its anti-extremist strategy on Niger.
Mali and Burkina Faso have voiced solidarity with their counterparts in Niger, saying that any ECOWAS military intervention would be considered a “declaration of war” against them.
Niger coup leaders take aim at France on eve of key summit
https://arab.news/5nz88
Niger coup leaders take aim at France on eve of key summit
- The regime also accused France of having flown a “military plane” from neighboring Chad into Niger air space on Wednesday, defying a ban imposed on Sunday.
Clashes break out in Togo’s capital as protesters call for the president’s resignation
- President Gnassingbé faced increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely
LOME, Togo: Clashes broke out between protesters and security forces in several parts of Togo’s capital Lomé on Thursday, as President Faure Gnassingbé faced increasing pressure from critics over recent changes in the constitution that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely.
A heavy police presence could be seen throughout the capital, where many businesses remained closed. Hundreds of protesters set up concrete block barricades in several neighborhoods of Lomé, with some burning tires and throwing projectiles at security forces.
Military jeeps were deployed as reinforcements in some areas. Police dispersed dozens of protesters with tear gas and arrested around 10 people in the Bè neighborhood, a stronghold of the opposition.
Civil society groups and social media influencers had called for protests on June 26, 27, and 28, after the government’s clampdown on protests early this month.
A coalition of political groups known as “Hands Off My Constitution” said in a Facebook post on Wednesday it “strongly urges Faure Gnassingbé to immediately and unconditionally release all of the roughly one hundred political prisoners, and to take urgent measures to restore purchasing power to the population.
It called for an “unprecedented peaceful demonstration.”
Togo’s leader Faure Gnassingbé, who has ruled since 2005 after the death of his father, was in May sworn in as President of the Council of Ministers. The powerful role has no official term limits and he is eligible to be re-elected by parliament indefinitely.
Opposition politicians have denounced the move as a “constitutional coup.”
Demonstrations are rare in Togo because they have been banned in the country since 2022 following a deadly attack at Lome’s main market.
But the latest change in government structure has been widely criticized in a region threatened by rampant coups and other threats to democracy.
After NATO deal, how far will EU go for trade peace with Trump?
- France and Germany want Brussels to move fast in search of a deal
- EU has until July 9 to reach a deal or see swingeing tariffs kick in on a majority of goods
BRUSSELS, Belgium: After satisfying Donald Trump’s calls for Europe to ramp up defense spending in NATO, EU leaders in Brussels turned Thursday to the next big challenge ahead: how to seal a trade deal with the US leader.
Time is running out. The European Union has until July 9 to reach a deal or see swingeing tariffs kick in on a majority of goods, unleashing economic pain.
The European Commission, in charge of EU trade policy, has been in talks with Washington for weeks, and the leaders of Europe’s two biggest economies France and Germany on Thursday urged Brussels to move fast in search of a deal.
“France is in favor of reaching a quick agreement, we don’t want it to drag on forever,” President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after summit talks involving the bloc’s 27 leaders and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
While Macron said European nations “do not want a deal at any cost,” Germany’s chancellor has signalled he wants to close a deal fast — even if it means an unbalanced outcome with some level of US tariffs on EU goods.
“It’s better to act quickly and simply than slowly and in a highly complicated way,” Friedrich Merz told a press conference after the talks.
The EU has put a zero-percent tariff proposal on the table — but it’s widely seen as a non-starter in talks with Washington.
Von der Leyen said the commission had just received the latest US counterproposal, adding: “We are assessing it as we write, speak right now.”
‘Swiss cheese’ option
According to several diplomats, the goal at this point is rather to let Trump claim victory without agreeing a deal that would significantly hurt Europe.
One diplomat suggested leaders would be happy with a “Swiss cheese” agreement — with a general US levy on European imports, but enough loopholes to shield key sectors such as steel, automobiles, pharmaceuticals and aeronautics.
This would be less painful than the status quo with European companies currently facing 25-percent tariffs on steel, aluminum and auto goods exported to the United States, and 10 percent on a majority of EU products.
Merz had earlier this week taken aim at the EU’s approach to talks as overly complicated, urging “rapid, joint decisions for four or five major industries now.”
The issue was the focus of Thursday’s summit dinner, at which von der Leyen was able to test leaders’ red lines in negotiations.
If no agreement is reached, the default tariff on EU imports is expected to double to 20 percent or even higher — Trump having at one point threatened 50 percent.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday suggested the administration could extend the July deadline but said “that’s a decision for the president to make.”
Avoiding escalation
Unlike Canada or China, which hit back swiftly at Trump’s tariff hikes, the EU has consistently sought to negotiate with the US leader — threatening retaliation only if no agreement is reached.
“We will not allow ourselves to be provoked, we will remain calm,” said Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, urging the EU to avert an all-out trade war with Washington.
Talks between EU and US negotiators have intensified in recent weeks.
Trump divides the Europeans.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are both vocally supportive of Trump — while others are more wary.
“The problem is that on behalf of the United States, we have a heavyweight dealmaker — on our side, European Union, have light capacity and capability leaders to negotiate,” said Orban.
Pro-trade countries in Europe’s north are especially keen to avoid an escalation.
The EU has threatened to slap tariffs on US goods worth around 100 billion euros, including cars and planes, if talks fail to yield an agreement — but has not made any mention of those threats since May.
The United States is also using the negotiations to try to extract concessions on EU rules — particularly digital competition, content and AI regulations, which Washington claims unfairly target American champions such as Apple, Google, and Meta.
Europeans are ready to discuss common transatlantic standards, but the EU’s digital rules are a red line for Brussels.
Japan executes man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering 9 people in his apartment
TOKYO: A man convicted of murder for killing and dismembering nine people in his apartment near Tokyo was executed Friday, Japan’s Justice Ministry said.
Takahiro Shiraishi, known as the “Twitter killer,” was sentenced to death in 2020 for the killings in 2017 of the nine victims, most of whom had posted suicidal thoughts on social media. He was also convicted of sexually abusing female victims.
He was hanged in high secrecy with nothing disclosed until the execution was carried out.
The execution was carried out amid growing calls to abolish the capital punishment since the acquittal of the world’s longest-serving death-row inmate Iwao Hakamada last year.
UK made fewer vehicles for the fifth straight month in May as Trump tariffs bite
- UK production dropped 32.8 percent from a year ago, marking the worst percentage drop in May output since 1949
- US President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles and parts have disrupted global supply chains
LONDON: Britain’s vehicle production declined from a year ago for the fifth successive month in May, industry data showed on Friday, as factory disruptions and US tariffs weighed on automakers.
UK car and commercial vehicle production dropped 32.8 percent from a year ago to 49,810 units last month, marking the worst percentage drop in May output since 1949, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic-hit 2020, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Exports to the UK’s two biggest markets, the EU and the US, declined by 22.5 percent and 55.4 percent respectively, SMMT said.
US President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on imported automobiles and parts, imposed in March, have disrupted global supply chains, added hundreds of millions of dollars in costs for manufacturers, prompted export suspensions and pushed several automakers, especially in Europe, to consider shifting production to the US to avoid the duties.
British manufacturing also contracted in May, as output, orders and employment declined.
Still, SMMT chief Mike Hawes said the UK’s trade deals, especially with the US, and a more positive relationship with the EU, provided some optimism.
The US and UK reaffirmed a previously agreed trade deal during the G7 summit in Canada earlier this month, under which up to 100,000 UK-made cars a year can enter the US at a 10 percent tariff, lower than the 25 percent rates other countries face.
In May, Britain reached a trade deal with India to lower tariffs and set quotas on auto imports, while also moving closer to the European Union on cooperation in defense, energy and agriculture.
Car production, excluding commercial vehicles, dropped by 31.5 percent in May, largely driven by model changeovers, restructuring and the impact of US tariffs, SMMT said.
Ukraine has halted Russia’s advance in the northern Sumy region, commander says
- The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back
- Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying more troops to other areas of the front line
KYIV, Ukraine: Ukrainian forces have halted Russia’s recent advance into the northern Sumy region and have stabilized the front line near the border with Russia, Ukraine’s top military commander said Thursday.
Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said that Ukrainian successes in Sumy have prevented Russia from deploying about 50,000 Russian troops, including elite airborne and marine brigades, to other areas of the front line.
His claim couldn’t be independently verified, and Russian officials made no immediate comment.
Russian forces have been slowly grinding forward at some points on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, though their incremental gains have been costly in terms of troop casualties and damaged armor. The outnumbered Ukrainian army has relied heavily on drones to keep the Russians back.
Months of US-led international efforts to stop the more than three years of war have failed. Amid the hostilities, the two sides have continued swaps of prisoners of war agreed on during recent talks between their delegations in Istanbul.
Russia’s Defense Ministry and Ukrainian authorities said another exchange took place on Thursday.
Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for POWs said the swap included injured soldiers and those with health complaints. The youngest is 24 and the oldest is 62, it said, adding that more exchanges are expected soon.
Sumy, the city which is the capital of the Ukrainian region of the same name, had a prewar population of around 250,000. It lies about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line. Russia’s push into the region earlier this year compelled Ukraine to strengthen its defenses there.
A special defense group has been formed to improve security in Sumy and surrounding communities, Syrskyi said, with a focus on improving fortifications and accelerating construction of defensive barriers.
In March, Ukrainian forces withdrew from much of Russia’s neighboring Kursk region, parts of which they had controlled after a surprise cross-border attack in August.
That retreat enabled Russia to launch a counteroffensive that advanced between 2-12 kilometers (1-7 miles) into Ukrainian territory, according to different estimates.
Ukrainian officials say fierce fighting is also taking place in the eastern Donetsk region.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its forces have captured two villages, Novoserhiivka and Shevchenko, in Donetsk.
Capturing Shevchenko marked an important stage in Russia’s ongoing offensive that is trying to break into Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, which borders Donetsk and is a major industrial center, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, the two sides continued to launch long-range strikes.
The Russian ministry said 50 Ukrainian drones were downed over nine regions overnight, including three over the Moscow region.
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia deployed 41 Shahed and decoy drones across the country overnight, wounding five people. It said that 24 drones were either intercepted or jammed.
