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Nigerien authorities have confirmed that an attempted coup took place this week in the capital Niamey. At 3 a.m. on Wednesday, local residents woke up to the sound of heavy gunfire which continued for about half an hour.
Shots were heard in the city center, the diplomatic quarter and near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the presidency, RFI Africa reported.
The alleged coup leader, Captain Gourouza, is on the run after the incident, becoming the most wanted man in the Sahelian country following the coup attempt timed just before the swearing-in of the new president Mohamed Bazoum.
Investigations are underway to identify the plotters involved in the attempt and, according to several sources, at least 15 soldiers have been arrested for questioning in connection with the incident.
Soldiers in custody admitted to acting under the orders of Gourouza, an air force officer, who sources said managed to cross the city from east to west, from the airport. at the presidential palace, armed to the teeth, undetected.
Caught red-handed
A high-level security source speaking to RFI said they had anticipated the coup attempt in recent weeks and “caught them in the act”.
The authorities insisted that the coup attempt did not interfere with the functioning of the government.
Outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou presided over the swearing-in ceremony for two new members of the Constitutional Court on Wednesday and bade farewell to the presidential staff.
Niger has a long history of coups and the last successful attempt was in 2010 when rogue soldiers took control of the presidential palace and overthrew former President Mamadou Tandja.
In 2016, four military officers admitted to planning a coup attempt, authorities said.
The country faces considerable security challenges given its proximity to Mali and the ongoing struggle against extremist Islamist militants.
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