Niger Army Command: Support coup! Guterres calls for the immediate release of presidential members | coup | president
According to Reuters, the Niger Army Command announced on July 27th that it supports the coup initiated by some members of the Presidential Guard the day before and stated that its primary task is to avoid destabilizing the country.
The statement stated that the Niger military needs to "protect" the "physical health" of President Mohammad Bazum and his family, avoiding "deadly confrontations... which could lead to bloody killings and affect people's safety.".
Bazum and Foreign Minister Masudu Hasumi earlier urged the country's democratic forces to resist the military's seizure of power. Western officials say the current situation of the Niger coup is still unclear. This is the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020.
In a televised speech delivered late at night, members of the Presidential Guard said that Bazum had been stripped of power and government agencies were suspended. The statement stated that the reason for the coup was the continuous deterioration of the security situation in Niger and the government's inadequate economic and social governance. They cut off transportation between the Presidential Palace in the capital Niamey and the outside world on the 26th, leaving the President trapped inside.
It was reported that the citizens of Niamey woke up on the morning of the 27th to find that not only rainstorm was falling, but also the border was closed, and the coup initiators also imposed a nationwide curfew.
On the 27th local time, UN Secretary General Guterres issued a statement stating that the UN strongly condemns the Niger military's attack on the democratically elected government and supports the efforts of the Western Community and the African Union to restore the situation in Niger. Guterres stated that on the 26th, he had a conversation with Niger's President Bazum and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
On the evening of the 26th local time, Nigerian soldiers issued a statement stating that they have overthrown Nigerian President Bazum and will implement a curfew throughout the country. The Niger Presidential Palace previously announced that Bazum was detained at the Presidential Palace and is currently in a state of security.