UN chief, ECOWAS voice concern as soldiers claim to have removed President Bazoum from power

Demonstrators gather on Wednesday to protest the detention of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey. (PHOTO / AFP)

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on July 26 strongly condemned a coup attempt in Niger, in a short statement released by his spokesperson.

“The secretary-general is following closely the situation in Niger. He condemns in the strongest terms any effort to seize power by force and to undermine democratic governance, peace and stability in Niger,” the statement said.

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been “removed from power”, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation’s national television late on July 26, hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.

Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers, said defence and security forces had decided to “put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance”.

Abdramane said Niger’s borders are closed, and that there is a nationwide curfew and that all institutions of the republic are suspended.

Niger’s presidency said the presidential guards had barricaded Bazoum inside his palace on July 26. The fate of the president remained uncertain, but his representatives told the press that he was safe. Bazoum assumed office in 2021 after winning an election. 

UN chief Guterres “calls on all actors involved to exercise restraint and to ensure the protection of constitutional order. The United Nations stands by the government and the people of Niger,” said the statement released by his spokesperson.

The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, West Africa’s main regional and economic bloc, said it was concerned about the coup attempt and called on the plotters to free Bazoum. The African Union called on the “treasonous” soldiers involved to put an immediate end to their actions.

The president of neighboring Benin, Patrice Talon, flew into Niger on July 26 to assess the situation after meeting with the Nigerian president and ECOWAS chairman Bola Tinubu.

“All means will be used, if necessary, to restore constitutional order in Niger, but the ideal would be for everything to be done in peace and harmony,” Talon told reporters in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The Algerian foreign ministry said in a statement that the Algerian government is “deeply concerned about the situation in the Republic of Niger and strongly condemns the attempted coup taking place there”. 

The ministry reaffirmed Algeria’s “categorical rejection of any unconstitutional changes” and urged “an immediate end to this unacceptable breach of the constitutional order”.

Niger’s presidential guard imposed a blockade on the presidency since 10 pm, local time, on July 25, a presidency staff told Xinhua News Agency. But soldiers had taken control of all roads leading to the national television station.

Niger has worked with Western powers seeking to help fight an insurgency, and has also contributed to efforts against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa.

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Niger has witnessed four coups. There was a thwarted attempt to take over the government in March 2021, when a military unit tried to seize the presidential palace days before the then recently elected president Bazoum was due to be sworn in.