NIGER REPUBLIC: Tinubu, Buhari, Biden, UN, EU, AU, ECOWAS, France reject coup

President Bola Tinubu, the United Nations Secretary-General and the United States have condemned efforts to seize power by force in an apparent coup attempt to oust President Mohamed Bazoum in the Sahel state of Niger Republic yesterday.

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari also described the attempted coup as “utterly naïve, despicable, and unacceptable”.

Buhari urged African leaders to “remain united against coups under whatever guise or form”, and warned “coup plotters to learn from history on the consequences of instability caused by violent takeover of governments”.

Soldiers belonging to Niger’s presidential guard surrounded and restricted access to President Mohamed Bazoum’s office and residence.

“The army has given them an ultimatum,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a message on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, the president’s office said “elements of the Presidential Guard (PG) had a fit of temper… (and) tried unsuccessfully to gain the support of the national armed forces and the national guard.”

“The army and national guard are ready to attack the elements of the PG who are involved in this fit of temper if they do not return to a better disposition,” the presidency said.

“The president and his family are well,” it added. The reason for the guards’ anger was not disclosed.

According to Reuters, ministries next to the palace have also been blocked off, and staff inside the palace have not been able to access their offices.

The rest of Niamey, Niger’s capital, however, appears calm.

LSI Africa reports that discussions are underway between mutineers and the president.

The West African country is one of the most unstable nations in the world, experiencing four coups since independence from France in 1960.

•Presidential guards fire warning shots on demonstrators

According to an AFP journalist, the Presidential Guards fired warning shots to disperse demonstrators and supporters, who tried to approach the presidential complex where the head of state is being held. They scattered when the shots were fired.

President Tinubu, who is Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States, ECOWAS,  said military take over in one of its member-states would be rejected.

Tinubu who is ECOWAS Chairman said military take over would be rejected.

“Information filtering in from the Republic of Niger indicates some unpleasant developments around the country’s highest political leadership.

“It should be quite clear to all players in the Republic of Niger that the leadership of the ECOWAS Region and all lovers of democracy around the world will not tolerate any situation that incapacitates the democratically-elected government of the country.

“The ECOWAS leadership will not accept any action that impedes the smooth functioning of legitimate authority in Niger or any part of West Africa. I wish to say that we are closely monitoring the situation and developments in Niger and we will do everything within our powers to ensure democracy is firmly planted, nurtured, well rooted and thrives in our region.

“I am in close consultation with other leaders in our region, and we shall protect our hard-earned democracy in line with the universally acceptable principle of constitutionalism.

“As the Chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I state without equivocation that Nigeria stands firmly with the elected government in Niger and equally conveys the absolute resolve of leaders in our sub-region that we shall not waiver or flinch on our stand to defend and preserve constitutional order.”

ECOWAS and AU issued separate statements condemning an “attempted coup d’etat.”

Benin Rep president on ECOWAS mediation mission to Niger

Benin Republic’s President Patrice Talon is travelling to Niger to mediate after the country’s leader was held by his guards in an apparent attempted coup, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said on Wednesday.

Disgruntled members of President Mohamed Bazoum’s elite guard on Wednesday sealed off his residence and offices in Niger’s capital Niamey and after talks have refused to release him.

Nigeria’s Tinubu, who as the new head of the regional bloc ECOWAS has pushed for a return to democracy in West African countries now run by juntas, said Talon was on his way to Niger after the “military misbehaviour” there.

“He is going there now, he is on his way,” Tinubu said after meeting with Talon in Abuja before his departure.

It was not immediately clear whether Talon was acting on behalf of ECOWAS or Tinubu himself.

He was already scheduled to make an early visit to three members of the ECOWAS, where coups have taken place since 2020 — Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

“The situation is worrying enough that ECOWAS and President Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, a neighbour of Niger, with Benin, also a neighbour of Niger, take it seriously and want to act quickly,” Talon said before leaving.

“I believe that all means will be used, if necessary, for constitutional order to be restored in Niger, but the ideal would be for everything to happen in peace and harmony.”

UN, EU, US, France, Algeria condemn coup

The UN Secretary-General and the United States both condemned efforts to seize power by force in an apparent coup attempt.

Guterres called “on all actors involved to exercise restraint and to ensure the protection of constitutional order,” Dujarric added.

“The United States is deeply concerned about today’s developments in Niger,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement from the White House.

“We strongly condemn any effort to detain or subvert the functioning of Niger’s democratically elected government,” Sullivan said, adding that “we specifically urge elements of the presidential guard to release President Bazoum from detention and refrain from violence.”

France, Niger’s former colonial power, and neighbouring Algeria also issued condemnations.

The European Union also said it “associates itself” with the ECOWAS statement and condemned “any attempt to destabilise democracy and threaten the stability” of Niger.