Military officers in the Republic of Niger, Nigeria’s neighbour, announced a coup on national television after they deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.

The coup plotters declared the immediate dissolution of the constitution, suspended all institutions, and locked the borders of the country.

Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, alongside 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.”

The juntas warned against any foreign intervention, while emphasising that they will respect President Mohamed Bazoum’s wellbeing.

In this explainer, i-News Nigeria takes an extensive look at the latest coup in the West African sub-region and we know so far.

Who are the coup plotters?

Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane has taken the lead in addressing the nation on the coup while the actual brains behind the plot remain unknown/ un-announced as of this time.

What are the reasons for the coup?

The military juntas blamed the rising insecurity in the country for the coup. Niger has been struggling with two insurgencies – one in the south-west, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the south-east, involving extremists insurgencies based in north-eastern Nigeria, according to the BBC.

In a statement broadcast on national television, Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane said that “the defence and security forces … have decided to put an end to the regime you are familiar with,” emphasizing the insecurity in the West African country. Political analysts also blamed rising costs of living and corruption as possible factors for the coup.

Who is the dethroned President?

President Mohamed Bazoum was democratically elected in 2021. He is a close friend of France, and other Western nations. He is the 10th president of Niger from 2021 to 2023. Bazoum was sworn-in into office in April 2021 after emerging victorious in the 2020–21 presidential election and a failed coup attempt. Before becoming President, he served as the President of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya). The Deposed president also served in as a Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2011 to 2016.

Who is in control after President Bazoum was removed?

Soldiers in the country have taken control and sealed up the presidential palace and offices. Nothing has been heard from the deposed President, Mohamed Bazoum. Al Jazeera reported that negotiations were under way between Bazoum’s camp and the leaders of the presidential guard to decide on the next line of action.

What are the world leaders saying?

The United States called for the immediate release of President Bazoum. “I spoke with President Bazoum earlier this morning and made clear that the United States resolutely supports him as the democratically elected president of Niger,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in New Zealand.“We call for his immediate release,” he said.

On his part, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he “condemns in the strongest terms any effort to seize power by force and to undermine democratic governance, peace and stability in Niger”. The UN boss urged all actors involved in the plot to exercise restraint and to “ensure the protection of constitutional order”.
France also “strongly condemned all attempts to take power by force” in Niger.

What are the reactions from the AU and ECOWAS?

The African Union faulted the “coup attempt” and urged Nigeriens and Africans to “join their voices in unanimous condemnation of this coup attempt, and for the immediate and unconditional return of the felon soldiers to their barracks”.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who recently emerged as the ECOWAS commission’s chairman, reiterated the commitment of the regional bloc in resisting any attempt to remove President Bazoum.

“It should be quite clear to all players in the Republic of Niger that the leadership of the ECOWAS region and all lovers of democracy around the world will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically elected government of the country,” Tinubu said in a statement he issued in Abuja. “We will do everything within our powers to ensure democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted and thrives in our region.” Tinubu said.
What are the steps taken to douse the political tension in Niger?

BBC reported that there is relative calm in the country. However, some citizens peacefully protested against the coup on Wednesday. So far, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has deployed President of neighbouring Republic of Benin, Patrice Talon, and other Nigerian contingents to Niger on Wednesday afternoon to assess the situation after a meeting in Abuja.

“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 the Nigerian capital.

Why repeated coups in Africa?

Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Chad and now Niger have been taken over by men in uniforms. This is fast becoming a plague, spreading across the region. Corruption, prolonged days in power (as in the case of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Omar al-Bashir of Sudan among others), growing insecurity, high cost of living among other have been identified as the key factors driving military take overs on the African continent.

In total, Africa has had more coups than any other continent. Except for Myanmar in 2021, all of the 16 coups recorded globally since 2017 have occurred in Africa.

Can sanctions deter fresh coups in Africa?

Previous sanctions on military juntas especially in Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso have produced little or no impacts on the coup plotters. Diplomats have pointed that the sanctions only take tolls on innocent citizens who are already struggling with insecurity, political instability and bleeding economy.