The former president attacked Sylvain Itté in Niamey on Wednesday February 21 for his comments accusing him of being involved in the July 26 coup. During a closed-door hearing at the National Assembly last November and made public in mid-February, the French diplomat pointed out a “ direct involvement » of Mahamadou Issoufou in the overthrow of his successor, Mohamed Bazoum. Comments deemed slanderous by the person concerned who intends to file a complaint.
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“ A web of slander. » This is how former president Mahamadou Issoufou described Sylvain Itté’s allegations. In a press release published by his lawyer, he denied the comments made by the French ambassador. First, on the meeting between the former head of state and General Tiani, strongman of Niger, two days after the coup d’état. If this meeting did take place, it does not constitute proof of any involvement, insisted Issoufou’s lawyer.
The French diplomat is convinced that “ President Issoufou was in on the action » notably because of the way in which he was able to “ act on the military to stop » the attack on the French embassy last July.
Then, on the causes of the coup d’état, Sylvain Itté affirmed that he “ there would be a conflict » between the Bazoum and Issoufou clans for the management of Niger’s oil resources. Statements brushed aside by Issoufou’s entourage.
The defense of the former head of state regretted that the report of the said hearing, supposed to be behind closed doors, was published on the website of the National Assembly. For her, the objective is clear: to make Mahamadou Issoufou responsible for the coup d’état in order to hide ” failures » from the French intelligence services. As for his relatives, they ask for proof to be provided: “ Perhaps Mr. Itté had confidences at the level of senior officers of the Nigerien army, who would have told him that they acted on the instructions of X or Y. Or else, he himself was involved in the ‘operation. This is one of two cases. This is the very opportunity given to him to provide proof of his assertion before the courts because we do not say anything, we do not relay information from social networks when we have a certain stature », Reacted Sidibe Issoufou, national coordinator of Citizen Dynamics for a Successful Transition, a Nigerien civil society organization, and a close friend of the ex-leader.