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Newly elected President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, is due to be sworn in on Friday, a democratic turning point overshadowed by jihadist violence and the alleged coup attempt two days ago.
The inauguration will mark the first-ever transition between elected presidents in Niger’s six decades of independence from France – a historic moment that has been widely hailed.
But the instability and insecurity of the Sahel were deeply underlined as the ceremony on Friday approached.
In the early hours of Wednesday, after gunfire broke out near the presidency in the capital Niamey, the government announced that an “attempted coup” had been foiled – a “cowardly and regressive act that sought to threaten democracy and the rule of law “.
The alleged coup leader is an air force officer in charge of security at the Niamey air base and is “actively wanted”, a source within the military told AFP on Wednesday. Nigerien security.
Another security source said “a few members of the military” were behind the coup but were prevented from approaching the presidential palace by the presidential guard elite.
“Some arrests” have been made, the source said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the worried foreign leaders, calling on the armed forces to “strictly respect their constitutional obligations”.
The poorest country in the world
Bazoum, 60, is a former interior minister and right-hand man to outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou, 68, who voluntarily resigned after two five-year terms.
Bazoum won a second round for the presidency in February with 55.6% of the vote, according to official results disputed by his opponent, Mahamane Ousmane.
Bazoum won a second round for the presidency in February. By Issouf SANOGO (AFP / File) But his most formidable rival, former Prime Minister Hama Amadou, has been barred from running due to a conviction for trafficking in babies – a charge he called politically motivated.
Niger is the poorest country in the world, according to the Human Development Index (HDI) benchmark of 189 United Nations countries.
The West African nation has suffered four coups in its history, the latest being a February 2010 coup that overthrew then-president Mamadou Tandja.
It has also been ravaged by repeated jihadist attacks from insurgents who advanced from Mali to the west and Nigeria to the southeast.
More than 300 people have been killed in three attacks in the west since the start of the year.
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