The chief of the Presidential Guard of Niger; General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has been named “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland,” following a military takeover, state television reported on Friday.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Presidential Guard’s commander since 2011, claims the takeover is a reaction to “the degradation of the security situation” brought on by Islamist violence.
Elected President Mohamed Bazoum is still being detained by army putschists since Wednesday morning.
A statement followed by the putschists on TV warned of “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention”.
“Certain dignitaries .. are in thinking of confrontation” which “will end in nothing but the massacre of the Nigerien population and chaos,” they claimed.
On the third day since President Mohamed Bazoum was detained, former colonial master France demanded the restoration of the democratically elected government saying it “does not recognize” the putschists, and calling Bazoum “sole president”.
The coup has prompted mounting international concern, and on Friday Kenyan President William Ruto called the army takeover “a serious setback” for Africa.
“The aspirations of the people of Niger for constitutional democracy were subverted by an unconstitutional change of government,” he said in a video message.
The European Union threatened to cut aid to Niamey after what it said was a “serious attack on stability and democracy” in Niger.
Bazoum and his family have been confined since Wednesday morning to their residence at the presidential palace located within the Guard’s military camp.
He is said to be in good health and has been able to talk by telephone to other heads of state.