Niger coup: Why Abdourahamane Tchiani led takeover matters

→ Is this part of a broader trend? Yes. There have been a number of coups — both successful and attempted — in West and Central Africa since 2020. Successful coups have been staged in neighboring countries Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Guinea in the last three years.

→ So, why is this one significant? Bazoum has been a key ally of the West in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the Sahel. That role took on greater significance after military leaders in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso severed ties with former colonial power France. Mali, which ordered a United Nations force to leave, has opted to use Russia’s Wagner private army to fight insurgents.

France also extracts uranium in Niger, which it uses to run its nuclear power plants.

“A Niger that realigns towards Russia and China threatens America’s drone base in the Sahel, which is in Agadez, as well as French power supply,” said Cheta Nwanze, lead partner at Nigerian political risk consultancy SBM Intelligence.

The U.S. has reportedly spent around $500 million since 2012 to help Niger boost its security. Germany announced in April that it would take part in a three-year European Union mission to train the country’s military.

→ What’s been the reaction? The coup has been condemned by West African bloc ECOWAS which said it “stands firmly” with Niger’s elected government. The European Union and France also criticized the coup. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Bazoum in a call this week during which he promised Washington’s “unwavering support.”

There were reports that pro-Bazoum supporters who gathered on the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Wednesday in response to news that he was being held were dispersed by soldiers firing into the air.

The BBC reported that some coup supporters on Thursday in Niamey had Russian flags, while others held up hand-written signs saying: “Down with France” and “Foreign bases out.” Coup supporters also set fire to the ruling party’s headquarters in the capital.