APA-Niamey (Niger) – For several hours, President Mohamed Bazoum has suffered the wrath of members of his bodyguard, loyal to their leader, General Omar Tchiani.
For now the spectre of a new coup is hanging over Niger.
On Wednesday morning, according to various sources, President Mohamed Bazoum, had his access to the presidency blocked by elements of his guard, whose motives are still unclear.
For the moment, the situation remains fluid and confusing.
The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been swift to react to events in Niamey, stating its ”shock and dismay” over the attampted coup.
In a statement seen by APA, the regional grouping “condemns in the strongest possible terms this attempt to seize power by force and calls on the perpetrators of this act to immediately and unconditionally release the democratically elected president”.
Bazoum won the second round of the February 2021 presidential election to succeed Mahamadou Issoufou, polling 55.66 percent of the valid votes cast, ahead of Mahamane Ousmane who scored 44.34 percent.
In the ECOWAS region, where Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso have already fallen into military hands, the commission “will hold all those involved in this act in Niger responsible for the safety of the president, members of his family, members of the government and the general public.”
On Twitter, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission, denounced the actions of “military personnel acting in total betrayal of their republican duty,” and called on them to “immediately cease this unacceptable enterprise.”
Josep Borell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said he was “very concerned by the events taking place in Niamey,” which could “destabilise democracy and threaten the stability of Niger.”
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