General Abdourahamane Tiani was named the new head of state of Niger on Friday, days after the coup’s leaders claimed to have overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum. This is the eighth military coup to occur in West and Central Africa in less than three years.
Bazoum has received support from African nations, Western powers, regional and international organisations, who have also called for the restoration of democracy. Some officials claimed that the result was not yet definitive.
Catherina Colonna, the foreign minister of France, referred to it as an “attempted coup” on Friday, while White House national security spokesman John Kirby suggested there was still time for intra-African diplomacy.
Concerns have been expressed about the security of the area where Niger has been a crucial ally of Western forces trying to quell insurgencies by organisations affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
In a briefing, John Kirby said, “A military takeover may cause the United States to cease security and other cooperation with the government of Niger.”
On Wednesday, Bazoum was locked inside his palace by Tiani’s presidential security, making it uncertain who was in the controlling position.
Since posting on social media on Thursday morning, when he pledged to defend “hard-won” democratic victories, Bazoum has not made any public statements.
Bazoum has been in contact with several world leaders since the coup and told them about his continued detention with family but “fine”.
Colonial ruler of Niger, France, declared that it continued to accept Bazoum as the legitimate ruler.
On Friday, the general appeared on state television with a banner identifying him as the head of a recently established military organisation called the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP).
One of his officers read a statement that said, “The President of the CNSP is the head of state.”
The statement continued saying that every governmental institution like the constitution have been abolished, and the CNSP will function with all legislative and executive power until constitutional order is restored. However, no timeframe was mentioned.
At the presidential palace on Friday in the late afternoon, Tiani met with the leaders of all the ministries. The ministries will continue to offer services, a CNSP member told journalists following the meeting.
Niger was the West’s most strategic ally in an area marred by coups and insurgencies.
It shares borders with three nations that have recently experienced coups: Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad. These coups might have also been a result of frustration at an increasing insecurity in the countries.
Troops from the United States, France, Germany, and Italy are staioned in NIger for training and counter insurgency missions.
Niger is also the seventh-largest producer of uranium, a radioactive metal that is commonly used in nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and cancer treatment.
