On Wednesday, July 26, a military junta detained Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and toppled the democratic government in the country.
Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani thereafter announced himself as the head of the junta in the Francophone country, after the successful coup by the Presidential Guard.
The event has led to many actions and reactions including moves by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore the democratic order, as well as the interventions of the West.
Daily Trust highlights 15 major events that have shaped the narrative since the beginning of the coup.
BREAKING: ECOWAS Slams Fresh Sanctions Over Niger Coup
Niger coupists adamant as deadline ends
Tinubu’s US-backing
On Thursday, July 27, the United States commended President Bola Tinubu and ECOWAS for their leadership roles, and threw its weight behind them. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said Tinubu would receive support to restore democratic order in Niger.
ECOWAS deadline to Niger
ECOWAS led by President Tinubu, on Sunday, July 30 issued a seven-day ultimatum to the military junta in Niger to release ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and restore democratic order or risk military intervention. The deadline has however elapsed.
Suspension of financial aid
On Monday, July 31, France and Germany announced the suspension of their financial disbursements to the West African country, following the coup. Also, the US partially halted aid to Niger in exception of resources to the private sector.
Mali, Burkina Faso support
While the threats by ECOWAS subsisted, on Tuesday, August 1, Niger’s neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso — which saw a military coup in 2022 — both vowed their support to the country should ECOWAS make good its threat of military intervention.
Nigeria shuts borders, cuts power
On Friday, August 4, Nigeria wielded its big stick by closing its land borders against Niger. The decision came two days after the federal government cut power supply to Niger.
Evacuation of France nationals
While the West African regional bloc stood against the move, Niger’s former colonial master, France, evacuated its citizens on Wednesday, August 2.
Tinubu’s high-powered delegation
In his bid to reinstate Bazoum, the Nigerian leader and ECOWAS Chairman sent a delegation to Niger to meet the coupists for dialogue, a statement on Thursday, August 3 said. Former Nigerian military Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray were in the delegation. But the meeting was deadlocked.
Pro-coup rally in Niamey
As the Tinubu’s delegation landed in Niger, thousands of Nigeriens supporting the military coup flooded the country’s capital, Niamey, to protest against the move by the Nigeria’s President. The video of the protest went viral on Friday, August 4.
ECOWAS military chiefs push for diplomacy
Arising from a meeting in Abuja last Friday, August 4, Chiefs of Defence Staff from Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Cote’Divoire, Cabo Verde and Republic of Benin advised that more diplomatic measures should be adopted to resolve the coup.
The meeting, which started on Wednesday and chaired by the President of ECOWAS Military Chiefs at Defence Headquarters in Abuja, Gen. Christopher Musa, was shunned by the soldiers from Mali, Niger, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
Senate rejects use of force
The Senate on Saturday, August 5, rejected an option of military intervention in Niger Republic and urged that the coup should be addressed politically.
Tinubu had written to the Senate on Friday, seeking the implementation of the Resolutions of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on the political situation in Niger Republic.
Deadline rally
On Sunday, August 6, as the world awaited the next line of action by ECOWAS following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum, about 30,000 Nigeriens swarmed the capital of Niger in protest and support to the junta.
Closure of Niger’s airspace
On Monday, August 7, the military junta said it had shut the country’s airspace over possible military intervention. The spokesman claimed there were probability of foreign attacks on Niger, as the coupists refused to release Bazoum.
Air France sanction
Air France late Monday, August 7, announced suspension of flights to and from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Bamako in Mali until August 11, with longer flight times expected in the west African region.
This came a day after Niger’s military rulers announced the closure of the country’s airspace due to the “threat of intervention”.
Niger’s junta appoints Prime Minister
Also, on Monday, August 7, the junta in Niger Republic has named Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, who currently serves as the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Country Manager for Chad as Prime Minister.
The country’s new prime minister formerly served as economy and finance minister.
A spokesman for the military junta made the announcement on television late Monday.
Zeine, 58, served as finance minister under Mamadou Tandja, who led the country from 1999 to 2010 after its return to civilian rule.
ECOWAS announces fresh sanctions
Addressing State House correspondents on Tuesday, August 8, President Tinubu’s spokesman, Ajuri Ngeale, said more sanctions had been imposed on the individuals and entities relating with the military junta in Niger Republic.
Although he did not go into details, he said the sanctions were carried out through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
