The Nigerian government has renewed its call for the immediate release of Niger’s deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held in detention with his wife since a July 2023 military coup.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris made the statement in an interview with France 24, emphasizing that Bazoum
committed no crime and should be freed unconditionally.
Bazoum, who came to power in 2021 through democratic elections, was overthrown by General Abdourahamane
Tiani, head of his presidential guard, citing failure to combat jihadist threats. Since the coup, Bazoum and his wife
Hadiza have been confined under tight security at the presidential palace in Niamey.
Idris, speaking as Nigeria currently chairs the regional bloc ECOWAS, said the coup was unjustified and stressed the
bloc’s continued commitment to restoring democratic rule in Niger. “We felt that he didn’t do any offence… If you want
to remove him, you remove him democratically,” he stated.
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The United Nations earlier declared the couple’s detention “arbitrary” and demanded their release. Lawyers
representing Bazoum disclosed that since October 2023, the former president has had no contact with the outside
world after his phone was confiscated.
Although the Nigerien junta recently released about 50 former government officials following recommendations from
a national conference, Bazoum remains detained. Meanwhile, the junta continues to strengthen ties with military
regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso under the Alliance of Sahel States, while distancing itself from ECOWAS and Western allies.
Since the 2023 coup, Niger’s new rulers have expelled French and U.S. troops and aligned more closely with Russia.
The political transition has drawn condemnation from regional and international bodies that fear the deepening of military influence and democratic backsliding across the Sahel.
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