Military coup seizes power in Niger

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Supporters of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum protested the coup in July. Associated Press/Photo by Sam Mednick

The West African nation’s army on Thursday backed a military takeover and said all political activities have been suspended. The day before, members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. The president and others in the Nigerian government called for citizens to resist the coup. The African Union and the United Nations have condemned the takeover. Niger has experienced four coups since the country gained independence from France in 1960.

Who is Bazoum? The 63-year-old president was democratically elected in 2021 and has been a close ally of France and other Western nations. Bazoum has worked with Western allies to battle Islamist jihadists in the region. Niger’s security forces stopped an attempted coup days before he was sworn into office.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report in World Tour about Russian influence in this region of Africa.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.