Niger President Bazoum defiant as soldiers announce his removal

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum has vowed to protect “hard-won” democratic gains in a defiant message a day after soldiers detained him and sacked his government.

Mr Bazoum took to social media on Thursday with the vow, and his foreign minister Hassoumi Massoudou called on “all democrats and patriots” to make the coup fail. He said the ousted leader was still being held inside the presidential palace on Thursday morning.

Soldiers on Wednesday night said they had removed President Bazoum from power.

Amadou Abdramane, a colonel in the country’s army, announced the end of Mr Bazoum’s regime in a televised address late Wednesday.

According to Mr Abdramane, who was flanked by several other soldiers “the defense and security forces… have decided to put an end to the regime of President Bazoum, due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”

The confirmation of the coup comes hours after the soldiers detained President Bazoum and sealed off the presidential palace early Wednesday.

Mr Abdramane also announced the country’s borders closed, and suspended all democratic institutions and declared a nationwide curfew.

The soldiers warned against foreign intervention, adding that they will respect Mr Bazoum’s wellbeing.

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The military takeover in Niger marks the fifth in the country since 1960 when it gained independence and the seventh coup in the West and Central Africa region since 2020.

The coup has been roundly condemned in the region and from around the world.

On Wednesday, Nigeria president who doubles as chair of regional Economic bloc, ECOWAS condemned the coup attempt and called on the plotters to release Mr Bazoum immediately. Mr Tinubu said the leadership of the ECOWAS region will not “tolerate” any situation that incapacitates the democratically-elected government of Niger.

The United States, European Union, United Nations, France and others have all condemned the uprising and said they were following the events with concern.

The coup is expected to further complicate security efforts in the region which has become a hotbed for Islamic militancy in recent years.