A military coup is reportedly unfolding in Niger, in West Africa as the nation’s President Mohamed Bazoum is being detained inside the presidential palace, in the capital Niamey, by guards on Wednesday.
Access to the palace has been blocked off by military vehicles, security sources told Reuters. According to the reporters at both AFP and Reuters, military vehicles arrived at the palace on Wednesday, shortly after which staff inside the palace have been blocked from accessing their respective offices.
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Meanwhile, an independent report on social media tweeted: “The Minister of Defense is missing and most likely arrested. General Omar Chiani, head of the presidential guard and leader of the coup, has yet to comment.”
The military has also sealed off access to ministries next to the palace had also been blocked. The latest developments have stirred speculations of another coup d’état. The has experienced four successful coups since independence from France in 1960 apart from a number of attempted ones.
The last coup occurred in February 2010. It resulted in the overthrowing of then-president Mamadou Tandja. Bazoum’s administration has reportedly faced two coup attempts after being elected head of state in 2021. He is considered a close ally of France.
Just two days before Bazoum’s inauguration, an attempt was made to overthrow him on March 31, 2021, according to local media reports.
While Bazoum was in Turkey, another attempt to oust him from office was made in March this year. Although the authorities have never commented publicly on the incident, a Niger official told AFP that an arrest was made.
Back in 2015, attempts were made to topple Bazoum’s predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou’s presidency. Subsequently, nine soldiers and a civilian were sentenced by a military court to jail terms ranging from five to 15 years in 2018 related to the incident.
