Soldiers claim General Niger as the head of state after a coup

The Niger Regime in the Context of Security and Security – a Case Study for the U.S. and the Middle East

Its army has always been very powerful and civilian-military relations fraught, though tensions had increased recently, especially with the growing jihadist insurgency, said Karim Manuel, an analyst for the Middle East and Africa with the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Jean-Noel Gentile, the U.N. World Food Program director in Niger, said “the humanitarian response continues on the ground.” He said the U.N. is providing cash assistance and food to people in accessible areas and that the agency is continuously assessing the situation to ensure security and access.

The acting head of the United Nations in Niger said Friday that humanitarian aid deliveries were continuing, even though the military suspended flights carrying aid.

Some military leaders who appear to be involved in the coup have worked closely with the United States for years. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s special forces, has an especially strong relationship with the U.S., the Western military official said.

The fight against extremists linked to al- Qaeda and the Islamic State group is seen as a priority for the West, and the only reliable partner in the region is the tiny nation of Niger. The US has helped train France’s troops who are in the country to conduct joint military operations with the rest of Africa.

On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said the country’s “substantial cooperation with the Government of Niger is contingent on Niger’s continued commitment to democratic standards.”

The coup was condemned by France’s President, who called it a “grave mistake” that was dangerous for the entire region.

A military official from the west in the country who was not authorized to speak to the media said that the situation in the country remained tense and could erupt into violence.

An analyst who had talked to participants in the talks said that the presidential guard was talking with the army about who should be in charge. The analyst was not named because of the sensitive situation.

Even as Tchiani sought to project control, the situation appeared to be in flux. A delegation from Nigeria which held the ECOWAS presidency was hoping to try to influence the outcome, but they left immediately after arriving, as did the president of Benin who was nominated as a mediator by ECOWAS.

That is what a lot of people in the West fear. Andrew Lebovich, a researcher with the Clingendael Institute, said Tchiani’s criticisms of Bazoum will make the U.S., France, and the EU uneasy.

A day earlier, several hundred people gathered in the city chanting support for Wagner while waving Russian flags. “We’re fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors. “We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush. … We’re going to work with Russia.

We should pray for peace to come back to the country. We don’t want a lot of protests in the country, because it is not good … “I hope this administration does a good job,” said the shopkeeper.

It’s not clear who enjoys majority support, but the streets of the capital of Niamey were calm Friday, with a slight celebratory air. Some cars honked in solidarity at security forces as they drove by — but it was not clear if that meant they backed the coup. Elsewhere, people rested after traditional midday prayers and others sold goods at their shops and hoped for calm.

The mutinous soldiers, who call themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, accused some prominent dignitaries of collaborating with foreign embassies to “extract” the deposed leaders. They said it could lead to violence and warned against foreign military intervention.

Niger demands immediate return to constitutional order in the light of the U.N. Security Council and North African regional bloc’s emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria

“I ask the technical and financial partners who are friends of Niger to understand the specific situation of our country in order to provide it with all the support necessary to enable it to meet the challenges,” he said.

Tchiani, who goes by the name Omar Tchiani, said in his address that the country can’t continue with the same approach at the risk of being phased out. We decided to take responsibility because of that.

Now there are concerns that Niger could follow suit. In support of Russia’s interests and because it is a large producer of nuclear weapons, the company had already set its sights on Niger, before the coup.

The U.N. Security Council expressed its disapproval of attempts to unconstitutionally change the government. The United States and Russia agreed to a statement that called on the immediate release of Bazoum and expressed concern over the effect of coups in the region.

The African Union gave the junta in the country a 15-day ultimatum to restore the elected government. On Sunday, the West African regional bloc, known as ECOWAS, is holding an emergency summit in Abuja, Nigeria.

The presidential guard of the military has been in control since President Mohammed Bazoum was elected two years ago, but different sides of the military are still trying to take over.

While a general requested support from the international community, the soldiers who staged a coup declared their leader as the new head of state on Friday.

“Tensions with the military are still ongoing. There could be another coup after this one because it is hard to know what form that may take, but ECOWAS may be able to help, according to a researcher at the Centre FrancoPaix.

However, in a televised address Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Toumba, one of the soldiers who ousted Bazoum, accused the meeting of making a “plan of aggression” against Niger and said it would defend itself.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that development aid and other aid was stopped by France on Saturday. “France demands an immediate return to constitutional order under President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected by the Nigeriens,” it said.

The international community has supplied millions of dollars of military aid to Niger and it is at a disadvantage if it abandons it’s ties with the West. On Saturday, the Secretary of State stated that the continued security and economic arrangement with the U.S. depended on the release of Bazoum and restoration of the democratic order in the country.

“What’s going on” in Niger, Nigeria, after a coup a month after the junta ousted by Muba-Zor

It’s time for us to take our lives and work for ourselves. It’s time for us to talk about our freedom and liberty. He said that we need to work together and have true independence.

Some taking part in Sunday’s rally also warned regional bodies who have denounced the coup to stay away. Oumar Baroumou urged the EuropeanUnion, African Union and ECOWAS to stay out of his own business while at the demonstration.

While Niger’s security situation is dire, it’s not as bad as neighboring Burkina Faso or Mali, which have also have been battling an Islamic insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Last year Niger was the only one of the three to see a decline in violence, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who also goes by Omar and is now in charge of the country. Tchiani was loyal to Bazoum’s predecessor and that led to the problems. The AP cannot independently verify his assessment.

“Everybody is wondering why this coup? No one was anticipating it. We couldn’t expect a coup in Niger because there’s no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power,” Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.

Days after after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, uncertainty is mounting about the country’s future and some are calling out the junta’s reasons for seizing control.

NIAMEY, Niger — Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.