Niger coup: Soldiers claim to have overthrown president on state television

The coup risks causing chaos in Niger and has sparked alarm in the west, ITV News Correspondent John Ray reports

Mutinous soldiers claimed to have overthrown Niger's democratically elected president, announcing on state television that they have put an end to the government.

The country's president has since declared "democracy will prevail" amid the deteriorating security situation.

While many people in the capital of Niamey went about their usual business, it remained unclear who was in control of the country.

A statement tweeted by the army command’s account declared it would back the coup in order to avoid a “murderous confrontation” that could lead to a “bloodbath.”

It was not possible to confirm that the statement was genuine.

Russia and the West have been vying for influence in the fight against extremism in the region.

On Thursday, several hundred people gathered in the capital and chanted support for Wagner while waving Russian flags. Later, they began throwing rocks at a passing politician's car.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 US service personnel are in the country to combat the growing threat from various groups of Islamic extremists.

The fate of US military operations is in question after Wednesday's coup.

Niger had avoided the military takeovers that destabilised West African neighbors in recent years.

It was seen as the last major partner standing in a region where the Russian private military group Wagner has been expanding operations.

The Wagner chief describes the coup as “winning independence.” Now more insecurity is expected in the sprawling Sahel region just below the Sahara Desert.

Earlier, soldiers said all institutions had been suspended and security forces were managing the situation, urging external partners not to interfere.

The announcement came after a day of uncertainty as members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace and detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

There was no immediate indication of whether the mutiny was supported by other parts of the military, and it was unclear where the president was at the time of the announcement or if he had resigned.

“This is as a result of the continuing degradation of the security situation, the bad economic and social governance," air force Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said on the video.

Seated at a table in front of nine other officers, he said aerial and land borders were closed and a curfew was imposed.

The group, which is calling itself National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, said it remained committed to its engagements with the international and national community.

Earlier on Wednesday, a tweet from the account of Niger’s presidency reported that members of the elite guard unit engaged in an “anti-Republican demonstration” and unsuccessfully tried to obtain support from other security forces.

It said Bazoum and his family were doing well but that Niger’s army and national guard “are ready to attack” if those involved in the action did not back down.

The commissions of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States described the events as an effort to unseat Bazoum, who was elected president two years ago in the nation’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.

Threats to Bazoum’s leadership would undermine the West’s efforts to stabilise Africa’s Sahel region, which has been overrun with coups in recent years.

Mali and Burkina Faso have had four coups since 2020, and both are being overrun by extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

Before the announcement, hundreds of people took to the streets of the capital, Niamey, and chanted “No coup d’etat” while marching in support of the president.

Multiple rounds of gunfire that appeared to come from the presidential palace dispersed the demonstrators and sent people scrambling for cover, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

The international community strongly condemned the attempted seizure of power.

During a stop in New Zealand on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeated his country's condemnation of the mutiny against Niger's president and said his team was in close contact with officials in France and Africa.

Blinken added that he had spoken with Bazoum on Wednesday, saying that he "made clear that we strongly support him as the democratically elected president of the country.”

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