Niger's prez vows democracy will prevail after soldiers declare a coup

Nigeriens awoke to a divided country on Thursday after mutinous soldiers claimed to have ousted the president. But Niger's government said it will never accept their rule and has called for the population to reject it.

“There was an attempted coup, but of course we cannot accept it,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassoumi Massoudou told news network France 24 

“We call on all Nigerien democratic patriots to stand up as one to say no to this factious action that tends to set us back decades and block the progress of our country,” he said. He also called for the president's  release and said talks were ongoing.

President Mohamed Bazoum was elected in 2021 in the West African nation's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.

He thwarted a coup attempt days before he was sworn in. Threats to his leadership undermine the West's efforts to stabilise Africa's Sahel region, which has been overrun with coups in recent years.