In Niger, we now know the name of the head of the junta who has sequestered President Mohamed Bazoum since Wednesday July 26. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the presidential guard behind the coup, appeared on national television on Friday as the country’s new strongman, as “president of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland”. (CNSP).

Rahmane Idrissa is a political science researcher at the African Studies Center at Leiden University, the Netherlands. Interview.

We can say that the coup d’etat is recorded, but by default. It is because President Mohamed Bazoum is no longer able to lead his country. But he is not yet since he has not resigned. We see that things are happening and that talks are underway. If the elected president has not resigned, it is because negotiations are still taking place.

A Nigerian delegation is on site and it is expected that the President of Benin, Patrice Talon, will also go there. Mahamadou Issoufou [president of Niger from 2011 to 2021 and predecessor of Mohamed Bazoum] attempted mediation with General Tchiani. She didn’t succeed. We must remain cautious, but it seems difficult to witness today a return to power of Mohamed Bazoum.

We are in pure politics, with the presidential party on one side and the opposition on the other. This was supported by the M62, a movement which brings together various civil society organizations and which claims to be anti-imperialist and anti-French. This may explain the presence of Russian flags in the processions.

What is necessary to understand is that the people of Niger are exasperated by the repeated corruption scandals and mismanagement. In another area, successive governments have been unable to respond to jihadist threats. Within the population, the PNDS has become extremely unpopular, which does not mean that the coast of Mohamed Bazoum is so unpopular.

No, i dont think so.

In a way, she had it. But by contagion, not by direct action.

Niger has a long tradition in this area [four since its independence in 1960]. The project to overthrow Mohamed Bazoum has existed for a long time within the army. There have even been several attempts. In March 2021, the government announced the arrest of several people after an alleged coup attempt, two days before the president was sworn in. In March 2022, another attempt was foiled by the authorities. The future will tell if this attempt is the right one.

This faithful among the faithful of Mahamadou Issoufou, at the head of the presidential guard since 2011, knew he was threatened by Mohamed Bazoum, who wanted to undertake a reform of the security apparatus [in April, the president had replaced the head of state- major of the armies and the head of the national gendarmerie]. This probably earned him some enmities. After the announcement of the kidnapping, there was a hesitation before the army rallied to the putschists, as if it had hesitated to take up arms to fight the presidential guard and free the president.