Niger troops announce coup on live TV

A coup has rocked the African nation of Niger, with troops announcing on live TV they had taken control of the government.

The soldiers announced the coup live on TV. Picture: Supplied

Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum has been detained by elite troops, who declared they now hold power in the unstable west African nation.

Western allies and international organisations have stood by Bazoum, but the chief of Niger’s army voiced backing Thursday for the coup plotters.

Here is what we know about the crisis in Niger:

The coup

A group of soldiers, most of them unknown to the public, claimed on national TV to have overthrown Niger’s government following an apparent coup, deposing democratically-elected Bazoum who came to power in 2021.

Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane said “all institutions” in the country would be suspended, borders closed and a curfew imposed.

“This follows the continued deterioration of the security situation, poor economic and social governance,” he said.

The soldiers announced the coup live on TV. Picture: Supplied

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum has been detailed (file photo). Picture: AFP

The announcement came after a day of tension and confusion on Wednesday amid what the government said was just “a fit of temper” by elements of the Presidential Guard.

A crowd that gathered outside the presidential palace to protest against the takeover was dispersed.

On Thursday, several hundred people, some holding Russian flags, took part in a show of support in Niamey for the coup leaders, AFP journalists saw.

Youths from the gathering travelled several kilometres (miles) to the headquarters of Bazoum’s PNDS party and attacked it, setting fire to some cars.

A general view of billowing smoke as supporters of defence and security forces attack the headquarters of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, the party of overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum. Picture: AFP

Demonstrators flee after warning shots were fired as they gathered to protest the detention of President Mohamed Bazoum by the Presidential Guard in Niamey on July 26, 2023. Picture: AFP

President defiant

Bazoum, after speaking with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said on Twitter, which is being rebranded as ‘X’, that the “hard-won gains” of democracy would be safeguarded.

Les acquis obtenus de haute lutte seront sauvegardés.
Tous les nigériens épris de démocratie et de liberté y veilleront.#MB

— Mohamed Bazoum (@mohamedbazoum) July 27, 2023

Niger Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said Bazoum was “in good health”, and that the country’s “legal and legitimate power” was the one exercised by its elected president.

He called on “all the fractious soldiers to return to their ranks”. But the head of Niger’s armed forces on Thursday said he endorsed a declaration by the coup plotters.

“The military command of the Nigerien armed forces... has decided to subscribe to the declaration by the defence and security forces... in order to avoid a deadly confrontation between the various forces,” said a statement signed by armed forces chief General Abdou Sidikou Issa.

Rare Western ally in Sahel

Events in Niger have been worrying for Western governments, and especially France which stands to lose one of its last remaining allies in the Sahel, a turbulent region suffering from jihadist attacks linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

France maintains 1,500 soldiers in Niger, which has 26 million inhabitants, after ending its anti-jihadist Barkhane operation and quitting Mali under pressure from the government.

“A successful coup in Niger would be a terrible blow to the region. In objective terms, Bazoum -- who was democratically elected -- was doing a lot of things right to save his country, and he was an ideal security partner for the West for that reason,” Michael Shurkin, a senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, said on Wednesday.

He also warned of any move the possible new masters of Niger could make to get closer to Russia, just as President Vladimir Putin hosts a Russia-Africa summit.

“Niger can ill afford to alienate its Western partners, and god forbid they invite in Russia, which we can count on to make all of Niger’s problems worse,” Shurkin said on LinkedIn.

Neighbouring Benin’s president Patrice Talon was expected in Niamey for mediation efforts, said the head of the Economic Community of West African States.