Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was detained on Wednesday by unhappy members of the special Presidential Guard, who were then issued a “ultimatum” by the army, according to a source close to Bazoum.
The West African bloc ECOWAS condemned the “attempted coup” and urged the “plotters” to release Bazoum immediately and unconditionally.
Bazoum, a staunch ally of France, was elected president in 2021, taking over a country mired in poverty and plagued by a history of chronic instability.
Members of the presidential guard blocked entry to the president’s apartment and offices on Wednesday morning, and after talks failed, “refused to release the president,” according to a presidential source.
“The army has given them an ultimatum,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a message on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, the president’s office said “elements of the Presidential Guard (PG) had a fit of temper… (and) tried unsuccessfully to gain the support of the national armed forces and the national guard.”
“The army and national guard are ready to attack the elements of the PG who are involved in this fit of temper if they do not return to a better disposition,” the presidency said.
“The president and his family are well,” it added.
The reason for the guards’ rage was never revealed.
Access to the presidential complex in Niamey was restricted, despite the fact that there was no unusual military deployment or firing in the neighborhood, and traffic was regular, according to an AFP journalist.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned what it dubbed a “attempted coup d’Etat” against a democratically elected leader in a statement issued from Nigeria.
The bloc and the international community will hold all those involved accountable for the safety of Bazoum, his family, government officials, and the general public, it warned.
