Mutinous soldiers claimed to have overthrown Niger’s democratically elected president, announcing on state television that they have put an end to the government over the African country’s deteriorating security.
In their address late on Wednesday, the soldiers said all institutions had been suspended and security forces were managing the situation.
They urged external partners not to interfere.
The announcement came after a day of uncertainty as members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace and detained president Mohamed Bazoum.
It was unclear where the president was at the time of the announcement or if he had resigned.
Air force colonel major Amadou Abdramane said on the video: “This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance.”
Seated at a table in front of nine other officers, he said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was imposed until the situation stabilised.
The group, which is calling itself National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said it remained committed to its engagements with the international and national community.
Earlier on Wednesday, a tweet from the account of Niger’s presidency reported that members of the elite guard unit engaged in an “anti-Republican demonstration” and unsuccessfully tried to obtain support from other security forces.
It said Mr Bazoum and his family were doing well but that Niger’s army and national guard “are ready to attack” if those involved in the action did not back down.
The commissions of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States described the events as an effort to unseat Mr Bazoum, who was elected president two years ago in the nation’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.
Threats to Mr Bazoum’s leadership would undermine the West’s efforts to stabilise Africa’s Sahel region, which has been overrun with coups in recent years.
Mali and Burkina Faso have had four coups since 2020, and both are being overrun by extremists linked to al Qaida and the Islamic State group.
This afternoon @antonioguterres spoke to @mohamedbazoum. He expressed his full support and solidarity to the Nigerien President. https://t.co/mSLUs48W4Q
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) July 26, 2023
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US secretary of state Antony Blinken visited Niger in March, seeking to strengthen ties with a country where extremists have carried out attacks on civilians and military personnel but the overall security situation was not as dire as in neighbouring nations.
During a stop in New Zealand on Thursday, Mr Blinken repeated the US condemnation of the mutiny against Niger’s president and said his team was in close contact with officials in France and Africa.
Mr Blinken added that he had spoken with Mr Bazoum on Wednesday, saying that he “made clear that we strongly support him as the democratically elected president of the country”.
Before the announcement, hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital, Niamey, and chanted “no coup d’etat”, while marching in support of the president.
Multiple rounds of gunfire that appeared to come from the presidential palace dispersed the demonstrators and sent people scrambling for cover, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.
Protester Mohammed Sidi said: “We are here to show the people that we are not happy about this movement going on, just to show these military people that they can’t just take the power like this.
“We are a democratic country, we support democracy and we don’t need this kind of movement.”
The international community strongly condemned the attempted seizure of power.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Mr Bazoum on Wednesday afternoon and “expressed his full support and solidarity”, the UN spokesperson tweeted.
