European Union Considers Imposing Sanctions Against Niger Coup Leader

Josep Borrell. (Wikimedia Commons/European Parliament)

JAKARTA - The European Union plans to follow in the footsteps of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), imposing sanctions on the leaders of the coup in Niger, said the bloc's Head of Foreign Policy Josep Borrell.

"We will follow, try to apply the same sanctions as they have decided," he said after a meeting of European Union defense ministers in Toledo, Spain, as reported by Reuters, August 30.

"We are moving forward towards an autonomous sanctions regime to take action against the rebels," Borrell stressed during a joint press conference with Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles.

"The work has started and tomorrow, the foreign ministers will continue that," he added, referring to an informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers on Thursday.

The meeting, which will also be held in Toledo, will be attended by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also Ecowas president, as well as Niger's exiled Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou, Borrell said.

"We will have direct talks," said Borrell.

It is known that the Ecowas sanctions, issued on July 30, include freezing Niger's assets and a ban on commercial flights.

Nigeria, which has the fourth largest army in Africa, led Ecowas' response to the coup. The alliance has 11 active members.