While Mohamed Bazoum has been held since this morning in his residence by members of the presidential guard who have turned against him, several elite units have been sent as reinforcements from Tillabéri, Ouallam, and Dosso to try to subdue the mutineers.
Although the Nigerien presidency still claimed support from the majority of the army in the afternoon, the presidential guard is an essential component of the armed forces of Niger. It consists of about 700 men and around twenty armoured vehicles. “The situation is very dangerous. There could be a lot of damage. Under these circumstances, President Bazoum’s safety is not guaranteed,” says a diplomatic source.
By late afternoon, members of the presidential guard entrenched in the palace fired warning shots at demonstrators approaching to show their support for Mohamed Bazoum. Several civilians are said to have been wounded by gunfire.
“We will hold on”
Talks and attempts at mediation, from both Niger and abroad, “have all failed,” adds a source close to the discussions. According to our information, the head of the Nigerien state, who had kept his phone, was able to communicate during the day with Presidents Alassane Ouattara, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, and Bola Tinubu.
Contacted by Jeune Afrique in the early afternoon, Mohamed Bazoum replied via SMS: “We will hold on.”
The Nigerian president, who recently took the helm of ECOWAS, is very active in trying to resolve the ongoing crisis. A plane carrying several of his envoys, including his chief of staff, landed in the Nigerien capital in the mid-afternoon.
He also spoke with several protagonists, starting with General Abdourahmane Tchiani, head of the presidential guard, suspected of being behind this coup, as well as the former Nigerien president Mahamadou Issoufou.
Patrice Talon, the Beninese president, mandated by Bola Tinubu, arrived in Niamey late in the day, from Abuja. He was speaking, early in the evening, with Abderrahmane Tchiani. “The situation is concerning enough that ECOWAS and Bola Tinubu, president of Nigeria, neighbour to Niger, as well as Benin, also a neighbour to Niger, is taking the matter seriously and act quickly,” said Patrice Talon before leaving Nigeria. “All means will be used, if necessary, to restore constitutional order in Niger,” he added.
According to consistent sources, the mutiny follows Mohamed Bazoum’s intention to dismiss General Tchiani, who is considered close to Issoufou, and who had appointed him as the head of the presidential guard. Reached by Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the second in command of the latter asserted that “the coup d’État was accomplished” – to which the president of Guinea-Bissau responded that it was out of the question and that they should “lay down their arms”.
A confused situation
© Protesters gather in Niamey on July 26, 2023, in support of the Nigerien president, Mohamed Bazoum, who is the victim of an attempted military coup d’État. © Photo by AFP
Early in the morning of this July 26, members of the presidential guard had blocked the surroundings of the presidency, forcing Mohamed Bazoum to negotiate. Although the substance of their demands was not known at the time we wrote these lines, one name keeps coming up since the beginning of this uncertain day: that of General Abdourahamane Tchiani. According to several sources, Mohamed Bazoum would have considered relieving him of his duties in recent days.
In addition to the head of state, several of his close associates have intervened and are trying to find a compromise. “We are talking with the presidential guard. Nobody wants a confrontation,” says a leader of the ruling party.
While those close to Mohamed Bazoum assert that he is “not being held hostage” and that the army as a whole is loyal to the leader, the situation remains very confused in Niamey. No images or statements from the head of state have been broadcast yet, and events are being “closely monitored” by the leaders of the African Union and ECOWAS.
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