Niger Coup: Junta Detains Ministers and Ruling Party Officials
The military junta that seized power in Niger on Monday has arrested several ministers and senior members of the party of the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) said in a statement that the coup forces detained the mines minister, the head of the ruling party, and the oil minister Mahamane Mahamadou, who is also the son of former president Issoufou Mahamadou.
The PNDS added that the interior minister, transport minister, and a deputy had already been taken into custody.
The junta, led by Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, declared itself the new leader of Niger after storming the presidential palace in the capital Niamey and capturing Bazoum.
The coup came just two days after Bazoum was sworn in as the first democratically elected president in Niger’s history, following a peaceful transfer of power from Issoufou.
Bazoum won the February 21 runoff election with 55.75% of the vote, defeating former president Mahamane Ousmane, who claimed fraud and refused to concede.
The coup has sparked widespread condemnation from the international community, including the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations (UN), and France, which has troops stationed in Niger as part of its counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel region.
The AU and ECOWAS have demanded the immediate release of Bazoum and his government and the restoration of constitutional order. They have also imposed sanctions on Niger, including the closure of land and air borders, the suspension of financial transactions, and the freezing of assets.
The coup has also raised concerns about the security situation in Niger, which is facing multiple threats from armed groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) in its border areas with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. Niger is also struggling with poverty, food insecurity, climate change, and population growth. According to the UN, more than 2.9 million people in Niger need humanitarian assistance.
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