German Development Minister Svenja Schulze has called for a peaceful solution to the Niger crisis ahead of a trip to West Africa.
“Protesting against the coup in Niger should not mean declaring war,” Schulze told the German newspaper Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung in comments published on Monday.
Schulze said there are numerous ways to approach things differently, such as ensuring that proper new elections take place soon or that democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum is no longer detained and does not come to harm.
A military coup in Niger two and a half weeks ago triggered a regional crisis. Schulze told the newspaper it was “a rather unusual coup.”
“For example, no one has died yet. That makes it easier to find diplomatic ways out, which are definitely possible,” said Schulze.
Schulze is expected to arrive in Mauritania to kick off a four-day trip to West Africa.
On Wednesday, she is then due to head to Nigeria. There, talks are planned with representatives of The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which Nigeria chairs. They will also discuss how Germany can support efforts to find a peaceful solution in Niger.
(dpa)
