The popularly elected president was ousted in a swift military coup on Wednesday.
Niger is a key ally of the United States in the fight against militant Islamism, and the coup is seen as a heavy blow from the American side.
Now there is concern that the country will get closer to Russia.
– Russia has laid the foundations for the coup, it is quite obvious, says a former top US diplomat in Africa to the Wall Street Journal.
Mohamed Bazoum has ruled Niger since winning the election two years ago. On Wednesday, the board came to an abrupt end.
His own bodyguards turned on him and while the 64-year-old president was kept locked up in his palace, the building was surrounded by military vehicles.
In a speech that was broadcast on Nigerian state television later on Wednesday the announcement came from the military that they had deposed Bazoum.
– This comes after a continued deterioration of the security situation and poor economic and social governance, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said in the speech.
Set fire to party building
On Thursday, supporters of the coup plotters gathered outside the headquarters of the president’s party. They threw stones at the building and set fire to it and several cars outside while party members fled in panic.
Supporters also gathered outside parliament waving Russian flags and pro-Russian placards, reports the BBC.
Now Russia is accused of being involved in the coup.
– Russia may not have been involved in the coup itself, but in laying the foundations for it. It’s quite obvious, says J. Peter Tham, former top American diplomat in Africa to the Wall Street Journal.
Niger has been a key ally of the US and France in the fight against militant Islamists such as Boko Haram, al-Quaida and IS. The countries have over a thousand soldiers each in the country and the US has several drone bases.
The Wagner boss: Independence against the colonizers
It is also one of the last African countries that has not yet deepened its relations with Russia.
– It is a huge blow to the United States. We have vouched for this leader like no other in the region, says Cameron Hudson, former head of US forces in Sudan.
The head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, spoke out about the coup on the messaging app Telegram.
– What is happening in Niger is just the people’s struggle against the colonizers. This is to win independence and get rid of the colonizers, he says in a video clip that Politico took part in.
– This shows the effectiveness of the Wagner group. A thousand Wagner soldiers have the ability to restore order and destroy terrorists and stop them from harming states’ civilian populations, he continues.
Several pro-Russian accounts on Telegram have also voiced their support for the coup. However, the Kremlin has distanced itself from it and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the “constitutional order” should be restored.
According to a spokesperson for the White House, there is no evidence that Russia or the Wagner group are behind the coup. Even from the French side, it is believed that the coup was primarily driven by domestic political factors.
Withdraws financial support
Niger’s new leader is General Abdouramane Tchiani, former commander of the presidential guard. According to the NY Times, he was about to be fired from his post, which is cited as a reason he turned on the president.
At the same time, there has been dissatisfaction with the now deposed president, and coup supporters accuse his rule of corruption and of failing to address security in the country.
The coup was bloodless and the ousted president is said to be “in good health” according to France, the former colonial power.
The coup has been condemned by African countries, Western countries as well as the United States, which expressed a “deep concern” for the development in Niger and both the United States and The EU demands that the president be released.
Calling people to resistance
The EU, which allocated approximately six billion kroner to the country between 2021 and 2024, is also withdrawing its financial support to the country.
Both from the American and French sides it is emphasized that the coup is not “final” and that President Bazoum can regain power. The former government has called on people to go out and protest against the takeover.
– The hard-won successes will be preserved. All Nigerians who love democracy and freedom will see to that, he wrote in a tweet on Thursday.
The military coup is the fifth in the country since independence in 1960.