The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Wednesday condemned an “attempted coup” d’Etat in Niger and called for President Mohamed Bazoum to be liberated amid reports that members of the presidential guard were holding him inside his palace. The EU’s foreign policy chief said Brussels was “very concerned about current events in Niamey”.
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ECOWAS and its member countries are monitoring the situation in Niger and will do everything within their power to protect its democracy, ECOWAS Chairman Bola Tinubu said on Wednesday, amid reports from security sources that members of Niger’s presidential guard had detained President Mohamed Bazoum inside the presidential palace.
“The ECOWAS leadership will not accept any action that impedes the smooth functioning of legitimate authority in Niger or any part of West Africa,” said Tinubu, who is also Nigeria’s president.
La Commission de la CEDEAO condamne la tentative de coup d’État au Niger/ ECOWAS Commission condemns the attempted coup d’Etat in Niger pic.twitter.com/0iYWCqLU18
— Ecowas – Cedeao (@ecowas_cedeao) July 26, 2023
“Informed of an attempt by certain members of the military to undermine the stability of democratic & republican institutions in #Niger, tantamount to an attempted coup d’état,” the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, “strongly condemns such actions”, Faki posted on social media.
In a message posted on the X social network formerly known as Twitter, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said he was “very concerned about current events in Niamey”, adding Brussels’ condemnation of any “attempts to destabilise the democracy and threaten the stability of Niger”.
Très préoccupé par les événements en cours à #Niamey.
L’UE condamne toute tentative de déstabiliser la démocratie et menacer la stabilité du #Niger.
L’UE s’associe aux déclarations du Président du Nigeria Tinubu au nom de la @ecowas_cedeao
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) July 26, 2023
Earlier in the day, the official account of Niger’s presidency posted that “The President of the Republic and his family are well,” adding that the presidential guards (GP) had failed to secure support from the other elements of the security services in this “fit of pique”.
Le Président de la République et sa famille se portent bien.
L’ Armée et la Garde Nationale sont prêtes à attaquer les éléments de la GP impliqués dans ce mouvement d’humeur s’ils ne reviennent pas à de meilleurs sentiments.— Présidence du Niger (@PresidenceNiger) July 26, 2023
Bazoum was elected president of Niger in 2021, taking the helm of a country mired in poverty and burdened by a history of chronic instability.
His election was Niger’s first democratic transition of power following four military coups since the country gained independence from France in 1960.
A military unit tried to seize the presidential palace in March 2021 days before Bazoum was due to be sworn in, but the attempted coup was thwarted.
Read moreNiger becomes France’s partner of last resort after Mali withdrawal
A key Western ally
A military takeover in Niger could further complicate Western efforts to help countries in the Sahel region fight a jihadist insurgency that has spread from Mali over the past decade.
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. It is also a key European Union ally in the fight against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa.
The United States says it has spent around $500 million since 2012 to help Niger boost its security. Germany announced in April that it would take part in a three-year European military mission aimed at improving the country’s military
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)