Ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has pleaded with the U.S., European Union, ECOWAS and the international community to his rescue and reinstate him as the country’s leader.

In an opinion article published in The Washington Post, Mr Bazoum, held hostage by the military junta regime headed by Brig.-Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, after last week’s coup d’etat, said democracy was currently overthrown in the Republic of Niger.

“… In our hour of need, I call on the U.S. government and the entire international community to help us restore our constitutional order,” said the 63-year-old politician, who claimed he is one of hundreds of citizens who have been “arbitrarily and illegally imprisoned” in the aftermath of the coup.

He added, “Fighting for our shared values, including democratic pluralism and respect for the rule of law, is the only way to make sustainable progress against poverty and terrorism. The Nigerien people will never forget your support at this pivotal moment in our history.”

Meanwhile, Mr Bazoum praised the “remarkable” actions taken by the American government, the EU, the African Union, and ECOWAS to condemn the coupists that removed him from power, detaining him and arresting hundreds of others.

Immediately after the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency meeting in Abuja, where decisions were made to impose several sanctions, including closing land borders across the West Africa axis and imposing a no-fly zone on Niger.

The military junta were given a one-week ultimatum to release Mr Bazoum and reinstate him as the president or face more stringent actions, including force and military intervention if necessary.