Page 2 - Coup

The Myanmar puzzle

India must rethink its traditional position

Thwarted escape attempt by detained Prez Bazoum ousted in coup: Niger Junta

Niger's ruling junta said late Thursday it had thwarted an overnight attempt by deposed president Mohamed Bazoum to escape detention with his family nearly three months after he was detained in the wake of a military coup. In a communique, Col Maj Amadou Abdramane said that Bazoum tried to reach a waiting vehicle at around 3 am that was to take him to the outskirts of the capital, Niamey, along with his family, two cooks and his security personnel. From there, they were to be flown to Nigeria aboard two helicopters belonging to a foreign power, Abdramane said. This plan to destabilise our country was thwarted, Abdramane said, adding that the main perpetrators had been arrested and an investigation has already been opened by the public prosecutor. Bazoum has been under house arrest with his wife and son since being ousted in July, and has refused to resign. The junta had cut off his electricity and water. The United States has formally declared that the ousting of Bazoum was a coup

Bolsonaro should be charged with attempting a coup: Congressional panel

A Brazilian congressional panel on Wednesday accused former President Jair Bolsonaro of instigating the country's Jan 8 riots and recommended that he be charged with attempting to stage a coup. An inquiry panel of senators and representatives mostly allied with the current leftist President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva who narrowly defeated Bolsonaro in last fall's election voted 20-11 to adopt the damning report drafted by Sen. Eliziane Gama. The move was largely symbolic for Bolsonaro because it amounts to a recommendation for police and prosecutors to investigate, and federal law enforcement officials separately have already been investigating his possible role in inciting the Jan 8 uprising. Bolsonaro has denied involvement in the rioting, which took place more than a week after the right-wing leader had quietly left the country to stay in Florida while refusing to attend Lula's inauguration. It's completely biased, Bolsonaro said Wednesday of the inquiry, in comments to reporter

Blinken calls deposed Niger leader ahead of expected US declaration on coup

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Niger's deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on Monday ahead of an expected decision by the Biden administration to formally declare that his overthrow was a coup d'etat. The State Department said Blinken called Bazoum to stress that a restoration of a freely elected government remains the best way for Niger to not only succeed for its people but also to remain a key partner of the U.S. and others in countering extremism. In the call, Blinken reiterated that a democratically elected, civilian-led government presents the best opportunity to ensure that Niger remains a strong partner in security and development in the region," the State Department said in a brief statement. The United States calls for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained following the military takeover, the department said. Blinken's call came as the administration is preparing to make a formal determination that July's military takeover in the central African nati

France's withdrawal from Niger can jeopardise counterterrorism ops in Sahel

The French troops withdrawing from Niger were seen as a key line of defence for about a decade in Western efforts against jihadi violence in Africa's Sahel region, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert. As the US keeps pushing for a diplomatic solution to resolve Niger's political crisis, analysts say the country's junta might struggle to sustain its relative peace with no external support. French President Emmanuel Macron has agreed to withdraw France's ambassador and troops from Niger after the July coup that deposed its elected president and triggered anti-French sentiment in the former colony. In response, the junta welcomed the end of imperialist and neo-colonialist forces" and said Monday that the withdrawal must follow a negotiated framework and mutual agreement. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Kenya on Monday that Washington's desire is for Niger's political crisis to be resolved through diplomatic means and that the United States will continue to evalu

Brazil's ex-President Bolsonaro denies proposing coup to military leaders

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has denied a report claiming he consulted with top military leaders on staging a coup to stop Luiz Incio Lula da Silva from assuming the presidency last January. Three members of Bolsonaro's legal team said in a statement posted on social media channels Thursday that the far-right leader "never took any measure that conflicted the boundaries and assurances established by the constitution". Earlier in the day, the newspaper O Globo reported that a former Bolsonaro aide said in plea bargain testimony that the then president talked with the commanders of Brazil's army, navy and air force about overthrowing the results of last year's election won by Lula. The newspaper did not identify the sources for its story. Bolsonaro's legal team also said that he did not take any action that violated the law during his 2019-2022 administration. Bolsonaro has been targeted by several investigations since he left office, including one looking into whether

Gabon Military officers announce seizing power days after prez election

Nearly a dozen soldiers took to state television and said they were overturning the presidential election and called for calm among the population. We reaffirm our commitment to respecting Gabon's commitments to the national and international community," said a spokesperson for the group. The soldiers on television were comprised of members from the gendarme, the republican guard and other factions of the security forces. Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, 64, was seeking a third term in elections this weekend that could extend his family's 55-year political dynasty. He served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years. There was concern of violence before the election due to deep-seated grievances among the population of some 800,000 people. Nearly 40 per cent of Gabonese ages 15-24 were out of work in 2020, according to the World Bank. After last week's vote, the Central African nation's Communications .

'Victory for Niger's coup leaders would be 'end of democracy in Africa'

If mutinous soldiers who ousted Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum succeed, it will threaten democracy and security across the region and the continent, a high-ranking member of Bazoum's political party warned in an interview with The Associated Press. Boubacar Sabo, deputy secretary general for the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism, said Bazoum had been kidnapped by members of the presidential guard who overthrew him on July 26 and have since kept him under house arrest. What is happening in Niger, if it succeeds, is the end of democracy in Africa. It's over. ... If we fight today, it is to prevent these kind of things from happening and to ensure a future for our continent, Sabo said on Thursday. In a region rife with coups, Niger was seen as one of the last democratic countries that Western nations could partner with to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The overthrow of the president nearly one month ago has been a big b

We want to ensure Niger's President Bazoum is safe: US State Department

The State Department also affirmed its support towards Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in achieving the stated objectives

Will prosecute deposed Prez Bazoum for 'high treason', says Niger's coup

Niger's mutinous soldiers say they will prosecute deposed President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason and undermining state security, hours after they said they were open to dialogue with West African nations to resolve the mounting regional crisis. The announcement on state television on Sunday night, by spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, said the military regime had gathered the necessary evidence to prosecute before competent national and international authorities the ousted president and his local and foreign accomplices for high treason and for undermining the internal and external security of Niger. Bazoum, Niger's democratically elected president, was ousted by members of his presidential guard on July 26 and has since been under house arrest with his wife and son in the presidential compound in the capital, Niamey. People close to the president as well as those in his ruling party say their electricity and water have been cut off and they're running out of food. The junta .

Niger crisis: Govt asks Indian nationals to leave 'as soon as possible'

The central government is closely monitoring ongoing developments in Niger, said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Friday

Niger's neighbours, UN looking to reduce tension with last-minute diplomacy

Nigeriens awoke Tuesday to deepening uncertainty about whether a regional bloc will follow through on its threat to use military force to try to reinstall ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or if last-minute diplomacy will prevail, nearly two weeks after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country's democratically elected leader. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS had given the mutinous soldiers until Sunday to release and reinstall Bazoum or they threatened to use force. Members from ECOWAS, the United Nations and the African Union were expected to join talks in the capital, Niamey, on Tuesday, a foreign official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. On Monday, acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland met with the coup leaders in Niger and said they refused to allow her to meet with Bazoum, whom she described as under virtual house arrest. She described the mutinous officers as unreceptive to her appeals to .

West African defence chiefs mull response to Niger coup, meeting concludes

Late on Wednesday, the junta in Niger vowed it would not bow to external pressure, dismissing the sanctions and ECOWAS' warning it could intervene

Niger's ruler warns against meddling, asks citizens to defend nation

Niger's new military ruler lashed out at neighbouring countries and the international community in a nationally televised speech on Wednesday night and called on the population to be ready to defend the nation. In one of the few addresses to the West African country since seizing power from Niger's democratically-elected president a week ago, General Abdourahmane Tchiani warned against foreign meddling and military intervention against the coup. "We therefore call on the people of Niger as a whole and their unity to defeat all those who want to inflict unspeakable suffering on our hard-working populations and destabilise our country," Tchiani said. Tchiani, who commands Niger's presidential guard, also promised to create the conditions for a peaceful transition to elections following his ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum. His speech comes amid rising regional tensions as the West African regional bloc ECOWAS threatens to use military force if Bazoum is not released from house arre

Support for Niger at risk as military takeover threatens stability: Blinken

Political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the president this week threatens the economic support provided by Washington to the African nation, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Saturday. Members of the Niger military announced on Wednesday they had deposed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and on Friday named Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani as the country's new leader, adding Niger to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region. Blinken, who is in Australia as part of a Pacific tour, said the continued security and economic arrangements that Niger has with the U.S. hinged on the release of Bazoum and the immediate restoration of the democratic order in Niger. Our economic and security partnership with Niger which is significant, hundreds of millions of dollars depends on the continuation of the democratic governance and constitutional order that has been disrupted by the actions in the last few days, Blinke

Niger adds to growing list of countries in the Sahel run by the military

Mutinous soldiers in Niger this week overthrew the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum, adding to a growing list of military regimes in West Africa's Sahel region and raising fears of regional destabilization. The Sahel, the vast arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert, faces growing violence from Islamic extremists, which in turn has caused people to turn against elected governments. The military takeovers have followed a similar pattern: The coup leaders accuse the government of failing to meet the people's expectations for delivering dividends of democracy. They say they will usher in a new democratic government to address those shortcomings, but the process gets delayed. Karim Manuel, west and central Africa analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit, says the military governments threaten to unwind democratic gains made not just in the Sahel region but in the broader West Africa region. This increases political instability going forward and makes the

Soldiers declare Niger general as head of state after he leads a coup

Mutinous soldiers who staged a coup in Niger declared their leader the new head of state on Friday, hours after the general asked for national and international support despite rising concerns that the political crisis could hinder the nation's fight against jihadists and boost Russia's influence in West Africa. Spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane said on state television that the constitution was suspended and Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani was in charge. Various factions of Niger's military have reportedly wrangled for control since members of the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since independence from France. Niger is seen as the last reliable partner for the West in efforts to battle jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group in Africa's Sahel region, where Russia and Western countries have vied for influence in the fight against extremism. France has 1,500 ...

President Bazoum's government has been removed, say Niger soldiers

Abdramane said Niger's borders are closed, a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended

Niger army on standby to hit back after coup bid, says presidency

Bazoum has been detained by 'coup plotters' who are attempting to seize power by force, the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States said in a separate statement

Myanmar junta launches airstrike on own village: Over 100 feared dead

The anti-coup militias in Myanmar, known as the People's Defence Forces, or PDFs, are waging an armed rebellion against the military junta in various parts of the country