Niger coup: Captive President Bazoum defiant after takeover

Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum has issued a defiant connection connected Twitter aft soldiers announced a coup overnight successful the West African nation.

Trouble began aboriginal connected Wednesday erstwhile troops from the statesmanlike defender took him captive.

His overseas curate has said the takeover does not person the backing of the full military, but the service main has present said helium backs the junta.

Mr Bazoum is simply a cardinal Western state successful the combat against Islamist militants.

The US and France some person subject bases successful the uranium-rich state - and person condemned the coup.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called up Mr Bazoum promising Washington's "unwavering support" and the UN and the European Union person called for the president's contiguous release.

The 64-year-old, who was elected Niger's president 2 years ago, took to Twitter connected Thursday greeting to say: "The hard-won achievements volition beryllium safeguarded. All Nigeriens who emotion ideology and state volition spot to it."

The capital, Niamey, is presently deserted, but this is mostly due to the fact that it has been raining heavy each morning.

Even a march planned by those who enactment the takeover has not happened due to the fact that of the downpours.

But radical successful Niger are sharply divided astir the crook of events.

Some are shocked and upset and portion it was nether mode connected Wednesday, hundreds of the president's supporters defied the soldiers to spell retired connected to the streets and telephone for the subject to instrumentality to the barracks.

They dispersed aft informing shots were fired - the lone gunfire heard successful this bloodless seizure of power.

They person said they volition not judge the coup but it is not wide however they volition reason it. They person not called immoderate much streets protests for the time-being.

Others person welcomed the military's actions, accusing the ousted ruling enactment of corruption and not doing capable to amended the information concern and extremity the long-running jihadist insurgency.

Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, person experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings successful caller years.

In some countries the caller subject leaders person moved person to Russia aft falling retired with France, the erstwhile assemblage power, which besides formerly ruled Niger.

This coup is yet further atrocious quality for French and Western efforts to reconstruct stableness to the portion of West Africa known arsenic the Sahel. When neighbouring Mali chose to spouse up with Russia's Wagner Group successful spot of the French, Paris moved its centre of operations successful the portion to Niger.

This coup, adjacent if it turns retired to beryllium short-lived, has shown that adjacent Niger cannot needfully beryllium relied connected to beryllium a imperishable harmless base. Western power successful the portion is shrinking similar a h2o excavation successful the adust season.

The governments successful Burkina Faso, Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali person each decided they would alternatively enactment with Russia's brutal Wagner mercenaries than immoderate Western force. Wagner's superior interests successful Africa person appeared to beryllium much astir enriching themselves and extending the Kremlin's power than pursuing the Western goals of trying to nurture amended governance.

For the 2 large insurgent groups successful the region, those linked to alleged Islamic State and al-Qaeda, this is bully news. They thrive connected instability, mediocre governance and section resentment of the government. So a coup successful Niger is apt to further hamper efforts to incorporate them.

Niger's Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou has called connected the colonisation to reason the takeover.

In an interrogation with France24, helium said that the concern could inactive beryllium resolved done dialog and said envoys sent from neighbouring Nigeria were talking to the military.

Benin's President Patrice Talon is besides connected a mediation ngo connected behalf of the West African determination bloc, Ecowas.

For the moment, it is not wide who is truly successful charge.

The takeover was announced by a spokesman, Col Maj Amadou Abdramane, who said the takeover was instigated by the deteriorating information concern "and mediocre economical and societal governance".

For the moment, determination is nary motion of immoderate Russian engagement successful this takeover, oregon peculiar power successful Niger.

The immense arid state connected the borderline of the Sahara godforsaken - 1 of the world's poorest nations - has experienced 4 coups since independency from France successful 1960, arsenic good arsenic galore attempted coups.