Hours after Niger troopers openly announced a coup on national television, President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been in captivity by the armed forces, vowed that democracy would prevail. Earlier today, Col Maj Amadou Abdramane, with nine other formally dressed fighters behind him, said, "We, the protection and security powers... have chosen to stop the system you know."
They said all establishments in the nation would be suspended, borders were shut, and a time limit had been forced until additional notification, from 10 pm to 5 am. "The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom will see to it," Bazoum tweeted early Thursday morning.
Someone close to the president who wasn't authorized to speak to the media told The Associated Press that the presidential guard surrounded his house with him and his wife inside and that negotiations were underway between the parties.
France, and America voice concern
The French and American governments have voiced their concerns and encouraged conservatives to turn the other way. Bazoum's government has made Niger one of the West's main partners against the Islamic insurgency in Africa's Sahel region.
"We are considering any decision to control or undermine the operation of the President Bazoum-led government's fair elections in Niger," said Jack Sullivan, White House Homeland Security Adviser. "We ask the leaders to release President Bazum and not harm him."
Russia's private army chief Prigozhin calls its "Niger's independence"
Wagner already had its sights set on Niger, in part because it’s a large producer of uranium sought after by Russia. But Bazoum posed an impediment because of his pro-French and pro-Western stance, said Baumgartner.
Wagner’s head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, weighed in on Thursday, describing the developments as part of Niger’s fight against the “colonizers.”
“It effectively means winning independence. The rest will depend on the people of Niger, on how efficient they could govern,” Prigozhin, who led a brief mutiny against the Kremlin last month, said in a statement.
Coup in Niger is not the first time
It is worth mentioning Niger is a landlocked West African nation and has experienced four coup attempts since its independence from France in 1960. The state is one of the most unstable nations in the world. Later in February 2010, the country witnessed its last coup wherein then president Mamadou Tandja was overthrown.
In March 2021, a coup was attempted just two days before Bazoum was set to take oath of the President, but was failed. Subsequently, several top military officials including including the suspected ringleader, an air force captain named Sani Gourouza were arrested.
Also Read: Niger's military announces coup, President Bazoum's government removed
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