Here’s a look at President Mohamed Bazoum and General Abdourahmane Tchiani as Niger’s military junta rejected a threat from the Economic Community of West African States to intervene and use force if necessary:
THE PRESIDENT MOHAMED BAZOUM
After neighboring West African countries experienced several coups and ousted the forces of former colonial power France in recent months, Niger’s president came to be seen as a crucial Western partner in the fight against al Qaeda-linked groups and the Islamic State organization in what has become the global epicenter of extremism, the vast Sahel region south of the Sahara desert.
Bazoum, 63, took office in 2021 in the first peaceful and democratic transfer of power since the country became independent in 1960. The preferred successor to outgoing President Mahamadu Issoufou, Bazoum had studied to be a teacher and was a longtime cabinet minister. time. He comes from Niger’s small Arab minority.
Welcomed for his security cooperation with the United States, France and others as alliances with neighboring countries soured, Bazoum was one of three “close associates” among African leaders to meet with the US secretary of state. Antony Blinken at the US-Africa summit last year.
In addition, Bazoum was praised for addressing issues such as child marriage in the country with the highest birth rate in the world.
But some within his security forces reportedly felt threatened after Bazoum made some leadership changes in recent months. Under house arrest while the coup was taking place, he managed to stay in touch with the outside world by telephone, for at least more than a week.
“I am writing this as a hostage,” Bazoum managed to dictate for an editorial published in The Washington Post on Thursday.
In that text, he rejected claims by the coup leaders that they had acted in response to growing insecurity in Niger, saying that “to the south, where we confront the terrorist group Boko Haram, there have been almost no attacks for two years.” And he added: “The north and west of the country have also not suffered any major attacks since I took office.”
The Armed Conflict Data and Location Project backed that up in a statement after the coup in Niger, saying that “levels of lethal violence are steadily declining, and have dropped significantly compared to Mali and Burkina Faso.”
Bazoum urged the United States and other international partners to intervene. Those partners are concerned. China issued a statement on Thursday saying Bazoum is a friend of the Chinese and hoped “his personal safety is ensured.”
US officials indicated that Bazoum was still able to be reached and that his most recent contact occurred on Monday morning.
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GENERAL ABDOURAHMANE TCHIANI
Former head of Niger’s presidential guard, Tchiani has accused Bazoum of not doing enough to keep the country safe from Islamic extremists and declared himself the leader of mutinous soldiers who call themselves the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland.
Now he and his allies have contacted the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries to ask for their help, according to Wassim Nasr, a journalist and researcher at the Soufan Center, in a sea change in Niger’s international partners.
In addition, the military junta is siding with neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also headed by military juntas and are sending a delegation to Niger after declaring that any foreign intervention there would be considered a “declaration of war” against them.
Tchiani, who is in his early 60s, is an Army veteran and an ally of former President Issoufou. He allegedly helped prevent a coup attempt in March 2021, shortly before Bazoum was sworn in as president.
The general comes from the Tillaberi region northwest of the capital and bordering Mali. He is from the area of Niger that has suffered greatly from attacks by Islamic extremists. After the coup, he claimed that he had intervened to avoid witnessing the “inevitable disappearance” of Niger.
Like several senior military officers from African nations, he received some training in the United States. In the past, he served as a military attaché at the Niger embassy in Germany. He also participated in a mission with the ECOWAS bloc, which is now threatening to intervene militarily if Bazoum is not reinstated as president.
Bazoum had been preparing to remove Tchiani as head of the presidential guard, the non-governmental organization International Crisis Group said in a report on Monday, citing people close to the president.
The general has not spoken publicly since he delivered a televised address on Wednesday, urging Nigeriens to be ready to defend themselves against “all those who wish to inflict unspeakable suffering” on the country. He also promised to create the conditions for a peaceful transition that would allow elections to be called.
However, in his latest public statement, Bazoum claimed that he is still in charge of the government.
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Petesch reported from Chicago. AP writer Matt Lee contributed from Washington.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
