The US on Wednesday condemned an attempted coup against Niger’s democratically elected president and government. Foreign Minister Antony Brinken met with Nigerian President Mohamed Bazoom on Wednesday night and expressed his support for both Mr Bazoom and Nigeria’s democracy.
“Mr Brinken emphasized that the United States stands with the Nigerian people and their regional and international partners in condemning this attempt to seize power and overthrow the constitutional order,” a State Department spokesman said. In a statement on state television Wednesday night, members of the Nigerian Presidential Guard claimed they had defeated Bazoom, adding that all agencies and land and air borders were closed.
air force colonel Major Amadou Abdullahman blamed the deteriorating security situation and “poor economic and social governance” for the coup.
A spokesperson for Mr Blinken said he stressed the need for democratic governance in Niger to continue a “strong economic and security partnership with the United States”.
The announcement came after members of a group calling itself the “National Council for Homeland Security” surrounded the presidential palace on Wednesday night. Bazoom’s official account went live on X, formerly known as Twitter, on the same day that the country’s presidential guard joined an “anti-Republican demonstration.”
