NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Mutinous soldiers who carried out a coup in Niger declared their leader the new head of state on Friday, hours after the general called for national and international support despite growing concerns that he the political crisis it could hamper the nation’s fight against jihadists and increase Russia’s influence in West Africa.
The spokesman, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, said on state television that the constitution was suspended and General Abdourahmane Tchiani was in charge.
Various factions of Niger’s armed forces have reportedly disputed control since members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since independence from France.
Niger is seen as the West’s last trusted partner in efforts to combat jihadists linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State group in Africa’s Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 troops in the country conducting joint operations with the Nigerians, and the United States and other European countries have helped train the nation’s troops.
The coup drew international condemnation and the West African regional group ECOWAS, which includes Niger and has taken the lead in trying to restore democratic rule in the country, scheduled an emergency summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Sunday. .
The UN Security Council strongly condemned efforts “to unconstitutionally change the legitimate government.” His statement, with the agreement of the 15 members, including the US. economic situation.”
Extremists in Niger have carried out attacks about civilians and military personnel, but the general security situation is not as serious as in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which have expelled the French army. Mali has resorted to Russian private military group Wagnerand it is believed that the mercenaries will soon be in Burkina Faso.
Now there is concern that Niger could do the same. Before the coup, Wagner, who has sent mercenaries around the world in support of Russian interests, already had his sights set on Niger, partly because he is a big producer of uranium.
“We can no longer continue with the same approaches proposed until now, at the risk of witnessing the gradual and inevitable demise of our country,” Tchiani, who also goes by the name Omar Tchiani, said in his speech. “That’s why we decided to step in and take responsibility.”
“I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the necessary support so that it can face the challenges,” he said.
If the United States designates the takeover a coup, Niger stands to lose millions of dollars in aid and military assistance.
The mutinous soldiers, calling themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland, accused some prominent dignitaries of collaborating with foreign embassies to “remove” deposed leaders. They said it could lead to violence and warned against foreign military intervention.
Bazoum has not resigned and has tweeted defiantly since his arrest on Thursday. that democracy would prevail.
It is not clear who enjoys the majority support, but the streets of the Niamey capital were quiet on Friday, with a slight air of celebration. Some cars honked in solidarity with security forces as they drove by, but it was not clear if that meant they were backing the coup. In other places, people were resting after traditional midday prayers and others were selling goods in their shops and waiting for the calm.
“We should pray to God to help people unite so that peace can return to the country. We don’t want a lot of protests in the country, because it’s not good… I hope this administration does a good job,” said Gerard Sassou, a Niamey trader.
A day earlier, several hundred people gathered in the city chanting support for Wagner while waving Russian flags. “We are fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protesters. “We are tired of being the target of men in the bush. … Now we are going to collaborate with Russia”.
That is exactly what many in the West probably fear. Tchiani’s criticism of Bazoum’s approach and how security partnerships have worked in the past will no doubt unsettle the United States, France and the EU, said Andrew Lebovich, a researcher at the Clingendael Institute.
“So that could potentially mark some changes in Niger’s security partnerships going forward,” he said.
Even as Tchiani was looking to project control, the tide seemed to be changing. A delegation from neighboring Nigeria, which holds the ECOWAS presidency and had hoped to mediate, left shortly after arriving, and the president of Benin, appointed as ECOWAS mediator, has not arrived.
Earlier, an analyst who spoke to participants in the talks said the presidential guard was negotiating with the army over who should be in charge. The analyst spoke on condition of anonymity due to the delicate situation.
A Western military official in Niger who was not authorized to speak to the media also said the military factions were believed to be negotiating, but the situation remained tense and violence could break out.
Speaking in Papua New Guinea, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup as “completely illegitimate and deeply dangerous for Nigerians, Niger and the entire region.”
The coup threatens to radically reshape the international community’s engagement with the Sahel region.
On Thursday, US Vice President Kamala Harris said that the country’s “substantial cooperation with the government of Niger depends on Niger’s continued commitment to democratic standards.”
The United States said in early 2021 that it had provided Niger with more than $500 million in military assistance and training programs since 2012, one of the largest such support programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union launched a 27 million euro ($30 million) military training mission in Niger earlier this year.
The United States has more than 1,000 service personnel in the country.
Some military leaders who appear to be involved in the coup have worked closely with the United States for years. General Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s special forces, has an especially strong relationship with the United States, the Western military official said.
While Russia also condemned the coup, it is unclear what the junta’s position on Wagner would be.
The acting head of the United Nations in Niger said on Friday that humanitarian aid deliveries were continuing, despite the fact that the army suspended flights carrying aid.
Nicole Kouassi, the interim UN resident and humanitarian coordinator, told reporters via video from Niamey that 4.3 million people were in need of humanitarian aid ahead of this week’s military action and 3.3 million faced “insecurity.” acute food”, most of them women and children.
Jean-Noel Gentile, director of the UN World Food Program in Niger, said that “the humanitarian response continues on the ground.” He said the UN is providing cash and food assistance to people in accessible areas and the agency is continually assessing the situation to ensure safety and access.
This is Niger’s fifth coup and marks the fall of one of the last democratically elected governments in the Sahel.
Its military has always been very powerful and military-civilian relations have been tense, though tensions have risen recently, especially with the growing jihadist insurgency, said Karim Manuel, Middle East and Africa analyst at The Economist Intelligence Unit.
___
Associated Press reporters John Leicester in Paris; Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria; and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations in New York contributed to this report.