Boubacar Sabo, deputy secretary general of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism, said Bazoum had been “kidnapped” by members of the presidential guard who deposed him on July 26 and has kept him under house arrest ever since.
“What is happening in Niger, if it succeeds, is the end of democracy in Africa. It’s over (…) If we fight today, it is to prevent this kind of thing from happening and to guarantee a future for our continent,” Sabo said on Thursday.
In a region where coups are rife, Niger was seen as one of the last democratic countries with which Western nations could ally to deal with a growing jihadist insurgency linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State extremist group. The removal of the president almost a month ago has also meant a major setback for the United States, France and other European countries that have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and training of the army and, in the case of France, in carrying out operations joint military.
Since the uprising, which analysts and locals say was sparked by an internal struggle between Bazoum and the head of the presidential guard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who now leads the country, the army has been bolstering the support of the population by taking advantage of the complaints against the former French colonial government, and silencing opponents.
Sabo is one of the few who openly criticize the junta who are still in the country and he is not hiding.
Several high-ranking ministers and politicians are detained and human rights groups say they do not have access to them, while others have been threatened, he added. Sabo called support for the regime in the capital misleading because the junta was paying people to demonstrate for him. Furthermore, Niamey has never been a stronghold for Bazoum and the junta is being opportunistic, he added.
Demonstrations in favor of the military junta take place almost daily with hundreds, if not thousands, of people lining the streets, honking their car horns and waving Nigerien and Russian flags while chanting “Down with France”. The junta has suspended several military agreements with France and has asked the mercenaries of the Russian Wagner Group for help.
But while there was real frustration from political parties and civil society organizations toward Bazoum’s formation, including disagreements with his military alliance with France, it’s unclear how much genuine support the junta has in the capital and across the country. according to experts in the Sahel region.
“While many of those protesters may support the transition, it is likely that a significant portion of them are there just for monetary reasons or out of curiosity or the excitement of being part of a crowd,” said Adam Sandor, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Bayreuth. .
The junta could have problems with its support base across the country if it fails to financially appease local elites and if the army continues to suffer casualties from rising jihadist violence, he added.
Jihadist attacks have been increasing since the coup, with at least 17 soldiers killed and 20 wounded earlier in the week during an extremist ambush. It was the first major attack against the Nigerien army in six months.
ECOWAS, the West African bloc, has threatened military action if Niger does not release and return Bazoum. It has activated a standby force and its defense chiefs will wrap up a two-day meeting on Friday to discuss next steps.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
