GENEVA, Sept 1, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - The United Nations said Friday it was
seeking contact with Niger coup leaders after they stopped its agencies and
other organisations from working in military "operation zones".

"We've seen the reports. We are reaching out to the de facto authorities in
Niger to better understand what this means and the implications for the
humanitarian work," UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told reporters in
Geneva.

Her comments came after Niger's interior ministry late Thursday announced it
was stopping UN agencies, NGOs and international organisations from working
in military "operation zones".

It did not specify which regions were affected, but said the measures were
"due to the current security situation".

"All activities and or movements in the zones of operations are temporarily
suspended," it said.

Niger's new military leaders took power in a coup on July 26, when troops
ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

Among the justifications they gave for unseating the democratically-elected
leader was the dire security situation in the landlocked former French colony
in the heart of the Sahel.

Niger is battling two jihadist insurgencies -- a spillover in southeastern
Niger from a long-running conflict in neighbouring Nigeria, and an offensive
in the southwest by militants crossing from Mali and Burkina Faso.

But since the coup, the attacks have continued, including one near the
Burkina Faso border on August 15 that killed 17 troops.