Space Travel News
AFRICA NEWS
Niger military chief backs coup leaders, but president defiant
Niger military chief backs coup leaders, but president defiant
By Boureima HAMA
Niamey (AFP) July 27, 2023

ATTENTION -with coup leader's call for calm, analyst quotes, party HQ ransacked /// Niger's armed forces chief on Thursday declared his support for troops who said they had overthrown the government, despite a defiant stand by the country's elected president and an outcry from the world community.

The latest target of a coup in the turbulent Sahel, President Mohamed Bazoum has been confined at his residence since Wednesday by members of his presidential guard.

Late in the evening, their leaders, calling themselves the Defence and Security Forces (FDS), declared they had "decided to put an end to the regime," and all institutions were being suspended, the borders closed and a night-time curfew imposed.

Armed forces chief General Abdou Sidikou Issa on Thursday swung his weight behind the putschists.

"The military command... has decided to subscribe to the declaration made by the Defence and Security Forces... in order to avoid a deadly confrontation," he said in a statement.

Earlier, Bazoum defiantly stood his ground as condemnation of the putsch swelled from African and international organisations and allies France and the United States.

"The hard-won (democratic) gains will be safeguarded," Bazoum said on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X.

"All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom would want this."

Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou told France24 television there had been a "coup bid" but "the whole of the army was not involved".

"We ask all the fractious soldiers to return to their ranks," he said.

- Pro-coup demonstrations -

Several hundred people in Niamey and a similar number in the town of Dosso took part in shows of support for the coup leaders, AFP journalists saw.

In scenes redolent of what happened in Mali following a coup there in 2020, some held Russian flags and chanted anti-French and pro-Russian slogans.

"France was unable to take care of our problems -- we need to take our destiny in hand," said their leader, who gave his name as Issouf and said he worked in a garage.

Youths from the gathering in Niamey went to the headquarters of Bazoum's PNDS party and ransacked it, setting fire to cars.

The coup leader appeared on national television urging "the population to remain calm", after the violence.

"The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) calls on the population to remain calm and to refrain from any vandalism intended to destroy public or private property," said Colonel Amadou Abdramane.

The president of neighbouring Benin, Patrice Talon, has been expected in the capital for mediation efforts, the head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said.

- Coup-prone -

The landlocked state is one of the world's poorest, experiencing four coups since gaining independence from France in 1960, as well as numerous other attempts -- including two previously against Bazoum.

The latest bid raises fears of further instability and a "risk of disengagement" on the security front, said Alain Antil, head of the Sub-Saharan Africa Centre at France's International Relations Institute (IFRI).

"Bazoum was very fragile. His election was contested by the opposition .. and it was known that a certain number of army officers were fairly unhappy with the situation," said Antil.

The statement from the army "seems to confirm that the coup is in the process of succeeding," he added.

The 63-year-old Bazoum, is one of a dwindling group of elected presidents and pro-Western leaders in the Sahel, where since 2020 a rampaging jihadist insurgency has triggered coups in Mali and Burkina Faso.

Their juntas have forced out French troops and in the case of Mali, the ruling military have woven a close alliance with Russia.

The Niger coup leaders -- 10 men in military uniform -- had appeared on television overnight.

Colonel Abdramane announced they were taking power following "the continued deterioration of the security situation, poor economic and social governance".

- Condemnation -

The parties in Niger's ruling coalition denounced "a suicidal and anti-republican madness" and condemnation poured in from regional and global leaders.

ECOWAS and the African Union each blasted an "attempted coup d'etat" while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attacked "the unconstitutional change in government."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he had spoken to Bazoum to offer support from Washington, which deploys about 1,100 troops in Niger.

France, a key ally which has 1,500 soldiers in Niger, called for "the restoration of the integrity of Nigerien democratic institutions."

Russia -- isolated internationally since invading Ukraine in February 2022 -- joined nations appealing for Bazoum's release and peaceful dialogue.

- Poverty and jihadism -

Bazoum took office after elections two years ago, in Niger's first-ever peaceful transition since independence.

He had been interior minister and right-hand man to former president Mahamadou Issoufou, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms.

But an attempted coup took place just days before Bazoum's inauguration, according to a security source at the time.

A second bid to oust Bazoum occurred last March "while the president... was in Turkey", according to a Niger official, who said an arrest was made.

The nation of 22 million is two-thirds desert and frequently ranks at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index, a benchmark of prosperity.

Niger is also struggling with two jihadist campaigns -- one in the southwest, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the southeast, involving jihadists from northeastern Nigeria.

burs-ach/ri/bp

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Rockets hit Khartoum, air force base attacked
Wad Madani, Sudan (AFP) July 27, 2023
Rockets pummelled the Sudanese capital on Thursday, witnesses said, as paramilitaries attacked a key air force base north of Khartoum and claimed to have killed and wounded "dozens" of soldiers. Residents reported "heavy artillery shelling" and fighter jets overhead the northwest of the city, while drones belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces attacked the Wadi Seidna air base, witnesses told AFP. The RSF said in a statement it had "destroyed three fighter jets, as well as stores of ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
AFRICA NEWS
Mawrth Vallis region - the deepest clay deposits on Mars

Unveiling Mars' Past: Olympus Mons as a Gigantic Volcanic Isle

Sleeping the Sol Away: Sol 3894

Perseverance sees Mars in a new light

AFRICA NEWS
NASA Completes First Launch Simulation for Artemis II Moon Mission

NASA partners with 11 companies for space technology to assist Artemis moon mission

China develops new carrier rocket, spacecraft for moon landing

NASA selects SwRI to lead DIMPLE lunar lander/rover instrument suite

AFRICA NEWS
SwRI team identifies giant swirling waves at the edge of Jupiter's magnetosphere

First ultraviolet data collected by ESA's JUICE mission

Unveiling Jupiter's upper atmosphere

ASU study: Jupiter's moon Europa may have had a slow evolution

AFRICA NEWS
Violent Atmosphere Gives Rare Look at Early Planetary Life

Water discovered in rocky planet-forming zone offers clues on habitability

NASA lab hopes to find life's building blocks in asteroid sample

New study reveals Roman Telescope could find 400 Earth-mass rogue planets

AFRICA NEWS
NASA picks Lockheed Martin to develop nuclear rocket

What You Need to Know about NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 Mission

Former Twitter exec says a mercurial Musk rules by 'gut'

Gilmour Space Technologies to accelerate design and manufacturing with Siemens Xcelerator

AFRICA NEWS
China's Space Station Opens Doors to Global Scientific Community

China's Lunar Mission targets manned landing by 2030

Shenzhou XVI crew set to conduct their first EVA

Timeline unveiled for China's advanced manned spacecraft's inaugural flight

AFRICA NEWS
Tracing Ryugu's Anhydrous Lineage: A connection to outer protoplanetary disk

Asteroid-smashing NASA probe sent boulders into space

Psyche enters home stretch before launch

Practicing the game-winning asteroid sample catch

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.