Niger / President Mohamed Bazoum removed from office following a military coup: The reasons behind the army’s action
In this screenshot from a video provided by Niger's public television channel ORTN, nine soldiers surround Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane (seated centre), who is announcing the overthrow of Mohamed Bazoum's regime.
Niger has been rocked by a coup d’état, with the army deposing President Mohamed Bazoum. Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the National Council for the Safeguard of the (CNSP), confirmed that he had seized power in a statement broadcast on national television. According to our sources, there are many reasons for this coup and all indicates that the former President of Niger caused himself, his fall.
Bazoum is involved in close relations with terrorist groups operating in the Sahel, which he claims to be fighting.
Reports that he was sponsoring and supporting these groups raised concerns about national and regional security. This led some army officers to consider that President Bazoum was not effectively protecting Niger against terrorist threats.
An inflammatory statement by President Bazoum was widely circulated, in which he claimed that terrorist groups were better trained and equipped than the armed forces of the Sahel countries.
And he used this assertion to request military aid from France. This statement caused an uproar among the military and the public, who considered that it damaged the reputation of the army and undermined their morale in the face of the growing terrorist threat.
The military perceived the statement as a lack of support from the President for their efforts to protect the country. His statements clearly show that Bazoum has substituted his army for the French army.
Some of the government’s political and military decisions are said to have been influenced by foreign interests, in particular those of France.
At the same time, neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali are heavily involved in the fight against terrorism.
They have invested in state-of-the-art military equipment and launched vigorous operations to counter the terrorist groups active in the region.
The coup in Niger, which led to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum by the army, appears to have been motivated by concerns over its management of national security and foreign policy.
Pedro Okalamar
