Niger coup: US extends 'unflagging support' to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum

A day after Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared himself as the country’s leader following a military coup, the United States announced that it will work to ensure “full restoration” of constitutional order. In a telephonic conversation on Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his “unflagging support” to the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and the people of Niger, the State Department said in a statement.

This call came hours after the head of the country’s presidential guard and the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, declared himself the head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP). In his address, Tchiani stated that the country needed to change its course to avoid “gradual and inevitable demise”. He urged the international community to continue supporting the Western African nation despite the change in leadership. “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.

The State Department further informed that the United States is communicating with “a broad array” of military leaders in Niger. The military coup jolted the already fragile democratic structure of the country. President Mohamed Bazoum made history in 2021 after he was elected the country’s first peaceful and democratically elected president since the country’s independence from France in 1960. Hence, the situation attracted criticism from around the world. 

The presence of the US in Niger

The Western African nation is crucial for the United States as there are about 1,100 American troops deployed in Niger and the US military operates from two bases, according to The Guardian. On Friday, the Pentagon stated that Defense Minister Lloyd Austin is “closely monitoring” the situation as well. The United States in early 2021 said it had provided Niger with $500 million in military assistance and training programmes since 2012. This is one of the largest support programs given in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a press briefing immediately after the coup, the White House national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said that Washington condemned the overthrow of the democratic institution and warned that the military takeover could cause the US to stop providing security and other aid to the Western African nation.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the UN Security Council condemned the coup and described it as “unconstitutional”. The body called for Bazoum’s immediate release. Following this, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the coup and called it “completely illegitimate”, during his address at Papua New Guinea. He informed that he had repeatedly spoken with President Mohamed Bazoum and made it clear that the detained leader is in good health.