STORY: UN chief urges release of Niger's president
DATELINE: July 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:01
LOCATION: UN Headquarters
CATEGORY: POLITICS
 
SHOTLIST:
1. various of press briefing room
2. various of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres walking to podium
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (French/English interpretation): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
4. various of press briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): STEPHANE DUJARRIC, Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General
6. various of journalists
 
STORYLINE:
 
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, as the world body is suspending humanitarian operations in Niger due to the situation in the country.
 
Soldiers in Niger have overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum, the country's Defense and Security Forces said in a press release broadcast on national television late on Wednesday, hours after the president was allegedly held hostage.
 
Addressing a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres urged those detaining Bazoum to release him "immediately and unconditionally."
 
SOUNDBITE 1 (French/English interpretation): ANTONIO GUTERRES, UN Secretary-General
"Yesterday I spoke to President Bazoum to express our full solidarity, now I want to speak directly to those detaining him: release President Bazoum immediately and unconditionally. Stop obstructing the democratic governance of the country and respect the rule of law. I don't know exactly where he is, but he was detained. He told me he was well, but he told me that the situation was very serious." 
Later at a daily press briefing, a UN spokesman said humanitarian operations are currently on hold in Niger "given the situation" there.
 
"The problem on the air right now is that our humanitarian flights cannot fly within the country which means that our humanitarian operations are suspended," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Guterres, told reporters.
 
SOUNDBITE 2 (English): STEPHANE DUJARRIC, Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General
"Humanitarian operations are currently on hold given the situation. As you know, Niger is already facing a complex humanitarian situation. Violence by armed groups, both in the country and its neighbors, has increased the concerns over civilian protection and has also aggravated food insecurity. There are currently 4.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Niger. By comparison, that number was 1.9 million in 2017. More than 370,000 people are displaced within Niger, which also hosts more than 250,000 refugees, mainly from Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso."
 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from UN headquarters.
(XHTV)