Niger army endorses presidential coup plotters despite international condemnation
Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum
By Dalal Mawad, Sarah Dean and Sana Noor Haq, CNN
(CNN) — The Nigerien military has backed coup leaders who have reportedly seized the president of the West African country, prompting warnings from international leaders over further unrest in a region plagued by political volatility.
Niger’s army command said Thursday it was supporting the takeover against President Mohamed Bazoum to prevent bloodshed and maintain “the well-being of our populations.”
In a statement on Twitter, it said it had to do so to “avoid a deadly confrontation… that could create a bloodbath,” and warned that any foreign military intervention “risks having disastrous and uncontrolled consequences.”
Niger lies at the heart of Africa’s Sahel region, which has seen numerous power grabs in recent years including in Mali and Burkina Faso. A key ally of the United States, France and other Western governments, Niger is one of the few remaining countries shouldering democracy in a region fraught with Islamist insurgencies.
President Bazoum was apparently taken by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown.
Niger’s presidential office said in a statement on Twitter on Thursday: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom will see to it.” It made no mention of whether the president is still being detained.
When Bazoum entered office in 2021, it was the country’s first democratic transfer of power following years of military coups since it gained independence from France in 1960.
Scenes emerged on Wednesday of hundreds of pro-Bazoum demonstrators filling the streets of the capital Niamey, as national institutions were shut down and country’s land borders remained temporarily closed.
On Thursday, a man identified as Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said all activities of political parties had been suspended “until the new order.”
A day earlier, Abdramane had appeared in a video communique, flanked by several apparent soldiers, and announced: “We have decided to put an end to the regime that you know.” He cited a deteriorating security situation in the country and “poor economic and social governance.”
CNN has so far been unable to reach the country’s Ministry of Defense and Interior Ministry for comment.
A member of the National Guard guarding the building for both ministries told CNN on Wednesday that there were no officials inside.
1,000 US troops
World leaders and humanitarian bodies issued stark warnings against the coup leaders.
White House officials said they “strongly condemn any effort to detain or subvert the functioning of Niger’s democratically elected government.”
US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Wednesday that the partnership between Washington and the West African country is contingent on its “continued commitment to democratic standards.”
Approximately 1,000 US troops are currently stationed in Niger, two US officials told CNN. The US has deployed forces there since 2013 to support Nigerien counter-terrorism efforts.
Washington also conducts drone operations at a base it completed in 2019, outside the city of Agadez, known as Air Base 201. Agadez is over 500 miles from the Nigerien capital of Niamey.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk declared he is “shocked and distressed” by the events.
“It is in the interests of all the people of Niger that the important democratic gains made in recent years are safeguarded and preserved,” Türk said Thursday.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanded that the plotters release Bazoum “immediately and unconditionally.”
The Chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Wednesday he “strongly condemned” the actions by soldiers in Niger.
The French, German and UK foreign ministries have also criticized the coup.
The-CNN-Wire
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CNN’s Omar Hamar Saley in Niamey contributed reporting. CNN’s Larry Madowo, Niamh Kennedy, Eve Brennan, Bethlehem Feleke, Alex Stambaugh, Betsy Klein, Richard Roth, Natasha Bertrand and Anne Claire Stapleton also contributed reporting.
