NNA – US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, confirmed to the deposed Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum, the United States#39; quot;steadfast supportquot; for him, stressing that the military coup jeopardizes quot;hundreds of millions of dollars in aidquot; to Niamey, according to a statement made by his spokesperson on Friday.nbsp;
The spokesperson of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said in a statement that during a second phone call in days with Bazoum, Blinken emphasized that quot;the United States will continue to work towards ensuring the full restoration of the constitutional order and democratic governance in Niger.quot;nbsp;
Blinken also praised Bazoum#39;s role in enhancing security not only in Niger but also in the wider West African region.nbsp;
In a separate call with former Nigerien leader, Mahamane Ousmane, Blinken expressed concern about Bazoum#39;s continued detention. He conveyed that he quot;regrets that those detaining Bazoum put at risk years of successful cooperation and hundreds of millions of dollars in aidquot; to Niamey, according to Miller.nbsp;
Furthermore, Blinken discussed the situation in Niger with French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, emphasizing the necessity of efforts to restore the constitutional order in the country. nbsp;— AFP
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