Soldiers in Revolt Assert Control Over Niger’s President

Soldiers in rebellion assert they have toppled the democratically elected President of Niger, declaring on the national broadcast late Wednesday that they have put the African nation’s failing security situation under their control by ending the existing government.

The soldiers declared a suspension of all institutions with the security forces handling the situation. The mutineers called for no foreign interference.

Their announcement followed a day of confusion, when members of Niger’s Presidential Guard had the presidential palace surrounded and President Mohamed Bazoum detained. It remained uncertain whether the rest of the military supported the mutiny, and the whereabouts or resignation status of the president were unknown at the time of the declaration.

Major Amadou Abdramane of the air force explained on video that the action was in response to the ongoing deterioration of the security situation and poor economic and social governance. Sitting with nine other officers, he announced the closure of aerial and land borders and the imposition of a curfew until stabilization is achieved.

The mutineers, branding themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, pledged to uphold their commitments to both the international and national community.

Earlier in the day, Niger’s presidency reported via Twitter that an “anti-Republican demonstration” was initiated by members of the elite guard unit, which failed to gain support from other security forces. They reassured that Bazoum and his family were safe and the army and national guard were poised to retaliate if the mutineers did not retreat.

The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States deemed these developments as an attempt to dethrone Bazoum, who had been elected president two years prior, marking the country’s first peaceful democratic transition of power since independence from France in 1960.

Such threats to Bazoum’s administration could potentially hinder Western attempts to bring stability to Africa’s Sahel region, which has been riddled with coups in recent years. Mali and Burkina Faso, both experiencing extremist incursions linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, have witnessed four coups since 2020.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who visited Niger in March to bolster ties amidst extremist threats, reasserted U.S. support for the Nigerien president on his New Zealand trip. He had previously reassured Bazoum of their backing as the democratically elected president of Niger.

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, characterized the mutiny as a “nightmare scenario for Western powers” who had relied on Bazoum and Niger as the new security bastion for the Sahel.

Before the declaration, pro-presidential citizens protested in Niamey, the capital, chanting “No coup d’etat”. Gunfire seemingly emanating from the presidential palace dispersed the crowds, causing people to seek shelter, reported a Big Big News journalist at the scene.

The international community heavily denounced the attempted power grab. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed full support and solidarity for Bazoum while condemning the mutineers. He urged for the president’s immediate release and cessation of all actions that undermine Niger’s democratic principles.

The US and French governments also expressed their apprehensions, urging the rebel guards to reconsider their course of action. Bazoum’s government has been a pivotal Western ally in the fight against Islamist extremism in the Sahel region.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, recently appointed as the ECOWAS Commission’s chairman, pledged to resist any attempt to overthrow Niger’s government, underscoring the commitment to sustain democracy in the region.

Contributors to this report include Big Big News writers Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria, and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations.

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More about Niger Coup Attempt

• BBC News: Soldiers claim coup in Niger
• Al Jazeera: Niger president reportedly overthrown
• CNN: Niger in political turmoil
• UN News: Secretary-General condemns attempted coup in Niger