More trouble for Bazoum as Niger’s army backs military coup

Niger’s army command on Thursday declared support for a coup instigated the previous day by soldiers of the presidential guard, saying its priority was to avoid destabilising the country.

In a statement signed by the army chief of staff, it said to “preserve the physical integrity” of the president and his family and avoid “a deadly confrontation that could create a bloodbath and affect the security of the population.’’

Also, in a video communique, a man identified as Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane and flanked by several apparent soldiers, announced, “We have decided to put an end to the regime that you know,” citing a deteriorating security situation in the country and “poor economic and social governance.”

President Mohamed Bazoum and Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou earlier urged democratic forces in the country to resist the power grab, as Western officials said the status of the coup attempt was unclear.

The soldiers said in a late-night televised address that Bazoum had been stripped of power and the republic’s institutions had been suspended, marking the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020.

They earlier cut off the presidential palace in the capital Niamey, with the president inside.

Bazoum, in a social media posting on Thursday morning, vowed to protect “hard-won” democratic gains in a country that is a pivotal ally for Western powers helping fight an insurgency in the Sahel region. Punch