Military officers in Niger Republic have toppled the government of President Mohammed Bazoum, hours after he was held inside the presidential palace in Niamey, the nation’s capital.
The soldiers took over the state television and announced a successful coup operation in the West African country on Wednesday night.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, leader of the coup, said the soldiers seized power to “put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”
The military junta quickly announced the immediate closure of the country’s borders and a nationwide curfew that was imposed indefinitely.
The coup leaders warned against any foreign intervention, while assuring that they will respect President Bazoum’s wellbeing.
The military junta maintained that Niger’s borders remain closed, a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended.
Bazoum assumed office on April 2, 2021. He survived an attempted coup on March 31, 2021, just two days before his inauguration. The latest marked the first successful coup in Niger since 2010.
Bazoum’s election was the first democratic transition of power in a state that has witnessed four military coups since independence from France in 1960.
