Niger: Army announces coup on TV
Soldiers in the West African country Niger announce a coup on national TV. They announce the annulment of the constitution, the suspension of institutions and the closure of borders.
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by presidential guard troops since early Wednesday.
He was promised Washington's "unwavering support" in a phone call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but apparently it didn't help much.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said he had spoken to the president and offered the UN's full support.
Bazoum is a key ally of the West in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa.
In recent years, two neighboring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have suffered coups triggered by jihadist revolts, which later turned into military coups. In both countries the new military leaders have clashed with France, the former colonial power, which formerly also ruled Niger.
It is unclear where Bazoum is, but in a statement on Twitter on Thursday morning he said that "hard-won gains will be safeguarded" and that Nigerians who love democracy will take care of it.
Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou proclaimed himself head of state and called on all democrats to "derail this adventure".
In Wednesday's television announcement, Colonel Maj Amadou Abdramane, along with nine other uniformed soldiers behind him, said: “We, the Defense and Security Forces… have decided to end the regime you know.
"This follows the continued deterioration of the security situation and poor economic and social governance."
He also said that all institutions in the country have been suspended and that the heads of ministries will take care of day-to-day business.
“All external partners are advised not to interfere,” he continued. "The land and air borders are closed until the situation stabilizes."
He added that the nighttime curfew would go into effect from 10pm to 5am local time until further notice.
Here is the speech made on TV
Colonel Maj Abdramane said the soldiers were acting on behalf of the National Council for Homeland Protection (CNSP).
We are not at the first coup in the area. Mali followed a similar evolution which then led to the cessation of European and UN military missions. The military in Niger, Nigeria, the Central African Republic and other countries in the area have become increasingly important in the fight against the various Islamic extremists, so they have been fed, pampered, armed and, finally, they have sent home the pro-Western governments . Quite a stroke of genius…
Thanks to our Telegram channel you can stay updated on the publication of new articles from Economic Scenarios.
The article Niger: the army announces the coup on TV comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/niger-lesercito-annuncia-il-colpo-di-stato-in-tv/ on Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:01:45 +0000.