France refuses to acknowledge that the leader of the Niger coup has declared himself the "new leader" of the country
According to Reuters, on the 28th local time, Nigerian coup leader Abdulrahman Chiani announced on Nigerian national television that he has become the chairman of the Niger National Defense Council. An official stated in a statement that the chairman is a national leader.
According to Agence France Presse, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 28th that France does not recognize the "new leaders" of Niger who have seized power. France believes that President Bazum of Niger remains the "only president" of the country.
In addition, the EU has threatened to reduce aid to Niger, calling it a "serious attack on stability and democracy.". The United States has also warned that it may "cease security and other cooperation," but its approximately 1000 soldiers stationed in Niger are currently on standby.
According to previous reports, on the 26th local time, Niger's elected president Bazum was detained by members of the presidential guard. A few hours later, the military claimed that they had overthrown the government of President Bazum.