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The government said in a statement that it had opened an investigation into the incident, noting that “several people have been arrested in connection with the attempted coup, while others are being actively sought.” In support of his claim that “the situation is completely under control” after the security forces cordoned off the presidential neighborhood, the government called on “the residents to continue their daily activities as normal.”
The coup attempt came two days before Mohamed Bazoum took office as Niger’s president to succeed outgoing president, Mohamedou Issoufou, in the first democratic rotation of power after four military coups since independence in 1960.
President-elect Mohamed Bazoum will be sworn in two days later, as he won the second round of the presidential elections held on February 21. Bazoum, 61, held several high-level positions in the government of outgoing President Mahmoud Issoufou, including that of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Religious Affairs.
It should be noted that, coinciding with the escalation of political tension after Bazoum won the presidency, the former president, Mohman Othman, recently called demonstrations to question the electoral results.
It should be noted that armed attacks increased in Niger, as the Sahel region recently witnessed jihadist attacks against civilians, while Islamist movements expanded their scope from neighboring Mali and Nigeria. The last of these attacks took place on March 21 in the Tahoua region, near the border with Mali, and 141 people were killed in a matter of hours in three villages.
Niger, with a population of around 24 million, is one of the poorest countries in the world.
