Niger coup widely condemned, countries urge return to order
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[July 28, 2023]
By Boureima Balima and Moussa Aksar
NIAMEY (Reuters) -Niger President Mohamed Bazoum remained held in the
presidential palace on Thursday afternoon and it was unclear who was in
charge of the country after soldiers on Wednesday evening declared a
military coup that sparked widespread condemnation.
France, the country's former colonial power, and the West African
regional bloc ECOWAS called for Bazoum's immediate release and a return
to constitutional order. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also
said that constitutional order should be restored.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said cooperation with Niger's
government was contingent on its "continued commitment to democratic
standards".
The U.S. also supports taking action at the United Nations Security
Council to de-escalate the situation in Niger, a spokesperson for the
U.S. U.N. mission said.
African Union Commission Chair Moussa Faki Mahamat said he had spoken on
Thursday with Bazoum and that the president was "fine", Russian news
agency RIA reported.
Niger's coup is the seventh in West and Central Africa since 2020 and
could have grave consequences for democratic progress and the fight
against an insurgency by jihadist militants in the region, where Niger
is a key Western ally.
A new leader has not yet been publicly announced.
The coup was started out by the presidential guard, which is drawn from
the armed forces and usually protects the president and his entourage,
is headed by General Omar Tchiani.
But he was not among the soldiers who announced Bazoum's replacement on
television late on Wednesday.
Aneliese Bernard, director of a U.S.-based risk advisory group Strategic
Stabilization Advisors, told Reuters uncertainty remained, and that
political and security elites were still debating next steps.
DEMONSTRATIONS' BAN
Supporters of the coup ransacked and set fire to the headquarters of the
ruling party in Niamey, the capital, on Thursday after the army command
declared its backing for the takeover started by soldiers of the
presidential guard.
The same crowd had previously gathered in front of the National
Assembly. Some waved Russian flags and chanted anti-French slogans,
echoing a growing wave of resentment towards former colonial power
France and its influence in the Sahel region. Niger gained independence
from France in 1960.
State TV later showed a statement from the interior ministry condemning
acts of vandalism and banning demonstrations until further notice.
In a statement signed by its chief of staff, the army supported soldiers
who announced in a late night televised address that they had stripped
Bazoum of power.
The army said its priority was to avoid destabilizing the country and to
protect the president and his family.
WORSENING INSECURITY
Juntas in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have grown closer to Russia
since they took charge, in 2020 and 2022, respectively, and cut ties
with traditional Western allies.
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Hundreds of supporters of the coup
gather and hold a Russian flag in front of the National Assembly in
the capital Niamey, Niger July 27, 2023. REUTERS/Souleymane Ag Anara
The United States said it has not seen any credible indications of
involvement by Russia, or the Russian Wagner Group private army, in
the coup in Niger.
Since relations with Burkina Faso and Mali's juntas soured,
prompting foreign troop withdrawals, Niger's role had become
increasingly important for Western powers helping fight the Sahel's
insurgency. France moved troops to Niger from Mali last year.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, who announced the coup on state
television, said defense and security forces had acted in response
to deteriorating security and bad governance.
Insecurity has remained a problem since Bazoum was elected in 2021
as jihadists that took root in Mali in 2012 gained ground, killing
thousands and displacing over 6 million across the Sahel.
"We hope the army coming to power will resolve the security crisis.
Today terrorism has uprooted so many villages ... our children have
become widows and our grandchildren orphans," said Hadjia Aiss, an
elderly woman who was among the crowd outside parliament.
POLITICAL PARTY ACTIVITIES SUSPENDED
France landed a military aircraft in Niger on Thursday morning
despite an airspace closure imposed overnight, Abdramane, a member
of the air force, said.
There was no immediate comment from the French foreign and defense
ministries. A diplomatic source said it did not amount to airspace
violation as the aircraft had taken off before borders were declared
shut.
Earlier, as Western officials said the status of the coup attempt
was unclear, Bazoum and Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou urged
democratic forces in the country to resist the power grab.
The United Nations said in a statement it was putting its
humanitarian operations on hold in the country, which was already
facing escalating violence, socio-economic challenges and climate
change.
The takeover started on Wednesday, when some guards at the
presidential palace in Niamey cut it off, blocking the president
inside.
Abdramane announced on Thursday that all activities of political
parties were suspended until further notice.
Bazoum, in a social media post on Thursday morning, vowed to protect
"hard-won" democratic gains.
He has not posted or commented since. Several word leaders said they
had spoken to him, including the EU foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell.
(Reporting by Bate Felix, Boureima Balima and Moussa AksarAdditional
reporting by John Irish;Writing by Sofia Christensen, Anait
Miridzhanian and Emelia Sithole-Matarise;Editing by John Stonestreet,
Alison Williams, Leslie Adler and Sandra Maler)
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