A group of soldiers claim to have detained Niger’s democratically elected president in what neighboring countries condemned as an attempted coup, with the United Nations, United States and European Union denouncing any attempt to seize power.
Presidential guards were holding Niger President Mohamed Bazoum inside his palace in the capital Niamey on Wednesday (26 July), saying they have put an end to the government over the African country’s deteriorating security. The soldiers said all institutions had been suspended and security forces were managing the situation. The group, which is calling itself National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, also urged external partners not to interfere. This latest military takeover in Niger marks the seventh coup in the West and Central Africa region since 2020.
West Africa’s main regional and economic bloc ECOWAS called on the plotters to free Bazoum, while the African Union urged the “felon” soldiers involved to return to barracks immediately. The president of neighboring Benin, Patrice Talon, has announced he was going to Niger to mediate following a meeting with Nigeria’s president and ECOWAS leader Bola Tinubu. Land-locked Niger has become a pivotal ally for Western powers seeking to help fight the insurgency but facing growing acrimony from the new juntas in charge in Mali and Burkina Faso. The West African country is also a key ally of the EU in the fight against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa.