Niger: Presidential Guard Chief Declares Himself New Leader

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Facts

  • Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani on Friday named himself leader of Niger's so-called National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, two days after his troops detained the democratically elected Pres. Mohamed Bazoum in the presidential palace in Niamey.1
  • Speaking in a televised address, the 62-year-old, who has been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011, stated that his junta took over the country to address several problems in Niger, including insecurity, economic problems, and corruption.2
  • This comes as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which will meet Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss the situation in Niger, has demanded the "immediate release" of Bazoum, stressing that he "remains the legitimate and legal President of Niger."3
  • The military takeover in a key Western ally in the Sahel — where France has over 1.5K troops and the US has 1.1K troops and two drone bases — is the sixth in the region in less than three years, following Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.4
  • The security situation in the country has been a problem ever since Bazoum was elected in 2021, as Islamic militants established in Mali in 2012 have gained ground across the Sahel, killing thousands and displacing millions in West Africa.5
  • Though Niger, unlike other African nations such as Mali, hasn't received assistance from the Russian private military company Wagner, its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin backed the move and suggested that his soldiers are ready to assist.6

Sources: 1Al Jazeera, 2BBC News, 3France 24, 4New York Times, 5VOA, and 6CNN.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by RT. Bazoum joined forces with Western powers to fight the jihadist insurgency, even agreeing to welcome French troops previously stationed in Mali, but his plan backfired as foreign military forces failed to help the country to get rid of terrorism. As if growing insecurity wasn't reason enough to topple the government, national leaders were perverting democracy to enrich themselves.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Semafor. This coup could be the most consequential of a string of military takeovers in Africa since 2020, as it offers an opportunity for Russia to deepen its presence in the Sahel by deploying Wagner troops to a country that has been the West's closest ally in the fight against jihadists. While military rulers claim they are focusing strictly on security challenges, their moves are likely to aggravate instability in the region.