NIAMEY, Niger — Days after after mutinous troopers ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting concerning the nation’s future and a few are calling out the junta’s causes for seizing management.
The mutineers mentioned they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years in the past in Niger’s first peaceable, democratic switch of energy since independence from France, as a result of he wasn’t in a position to safe the nation from rising jihadi violence. However some analysts and Nigeriens say that is only a pretext for a takeover that’s extra about inside energy struggles than securing the nation.
“Everyone is questioning why this coup? That’s as a result of nobody was anticipating it. We couldn’t anticipate a coup in Niger as a result of there’s no social, political or safety scenario that will justify that the navy take the ability,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches on the College of Niamey, informed The Related Press.
He mentioned Bazoum needed to exchange the top of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who additionally goes by Omar and is now in control of the nation. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor and that sparked the issues, Boubacar mentioned. The AP can’t independently confirm his evaluation.
Whereas Niger’s safety scenario is dire, it isn’t as unhealthy as neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali the place all three nations have been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Final 12 months Niger was the one one of many three to see a decline in violence, based on the Armed Battle Location & Occasion Information Mission.
Niger is seen because the final dependable associate for the West in efforts to battle the jihadists in Africa’s Sahel area, the place Russia and Western nations have vied for affect within the battle in opposition to extremism. France has 1,500 troopers within the nation who conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens, and the USA and different European nations have helped practice the nation’s troops.
Battle consultants say out of all of the nations, Niger has essentially the most at stake, given the hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of navy help the worldwide neighborhood has poured in. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken mentioned the continued safety and financial preparations that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the discharge of Bazoum — who stays underneath home arrest — and “the speedy restoration of the democratic order in Niger.”
France on Saturday suspended all improvement assist and different monetary assist for Niger, the International Ministry mentioned in an announcement. “France calls for an instantaneous return to constitutional order underneath President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens,” it mentioned.
Regional nations try to stem the fallout from the coup and reverse course.
The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the junta in Niger to reinstall the nation’s democratically elected authorities. On Sunday, the West African regional bloc, referred to as ECOWAS, is holding an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria.
Nevertheless, in a televised handle Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of many troopers who ousted Bazoum, accused the assembly of creating a “plan of aggression” in opposition to Niger and mentioned it will defend itself.
Niger consultants say it is too quickly to know the way issues will play out.
“Tensions with the navy are nonetheless ongoing. There could possibly be one other coup after this one, or a stronger intervention from ECOWAS, doubtlessly navy power, even whether it is tough to foresee how particularly that will occur and what kind that will take,” mentioned Tatiana Smirnova, a researcher on the Centre FrancoPaix in battle decision and peace missions.
“Many actors are additionally attempting to barter, however the final result is unclear,” she mentioned.
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Related Press reporter Angela Charlton in Paris contributed