- Attempted Coup in Niger: President Mohamed Bazoum Seized by Presidential Security.
- International Condemnation: African Union, UN, EU, and US Speak Out Against the Action.
- Regional Context: Niger’s Importance in the Fight Against Islamist Militancy and History of Political Instability.
Sources indicate that presidential security in Niger has seized President Mohamed Bazoum and blocked his residence and key ministries.
The actions were condemned by the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States.
West Africa’s President Bazoum is a crucial Western ally in the battle against Islamist militancy.
In support of the president, crowds have flocked to the streets in the nation’s capital, Niamey.
The city has been largely peaceful, although soldiers involved in the attempted coup launched shots to disperse the protests.
The president’s administration tweeted earlier on Wednesday that the guards had unsuccessfully sought military support for their “anti-republican” efforts.
According to an unidentified source quoted by AFP, the action was a “fit of temper” by troops.
The immediate former president, Mohammed Issoufou, and other former leaders were reportedly involved in negotiations to prevent the situation from escalating, but it is unclear whether these discussions are still ongoing.
According to a source close to the president cited by AFP, the discussions have broken down and the army has issued an ultimatum to the guards who have refused to release the president.
The president’s office tweeted, “The Army and National Guard are ready to attack” those involved in this incident. “The President of the Republic and his family are doing well,” the report added.
Ecowas has issued a statement describing the events in Niger as a “coup attempt” and stating that it “condemns in the strongest terms the attempt to seize power by force.”
The body also stated that those culpable will be held accountable.
Additionally, France and the European Union have condemned the unrest.
In recent years, jihadist disturbances have led to coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, two neighboring nations.
Niger contends with two Islamist insurgencies: one in the southwest, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and another in the southeast, which involves militants from north-eastern Nigeria.
Both al-Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated militant organizations are active in the country.
Since seizing power, the military leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso have fallen out with France, their former colonial authority, as well as Niger.
In contrast, the democratically elected President Bazoum in 2021 is a close ally of France and other Western nations.
Since its independence from France in 1960, there have been four coups and numerous attempted coups in Niger.
In February 2010, the previous president, Mamadou Tandja, was deposed by a military revolt.
