Coup d'état in Niger: The head of the presidential guard has proclaimed himself the country's new leader
General Abdourahmane Tchiani has declared himself Niger's new leader after a dramatic coup. Also known as Omar Tchiani, he staged a takeover that began on Wednesday when the presidential guard unit he led captured the country's leader. This destroys Niger's first peaceful and democratic transition since independence in 1960, reports the BBC.
The source also notes that President Mohamed Bazoum is reportedly in good health, still being held captive by his own state guard.
The coup has been strongly condemned by international bodies including the African Union, the West African regional bloc (Ecowas), the EU and the UN.
However, the leader of Russia's Wagner mercenary group praised the coup, describing it as a triumph.
"What happened in Niger is nothing but the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonizers," Yevgeny Prigozhin said on an affiliated Telegram channel.
General Tchiani, 62, has been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011 and was promoted to general in 2018 by former President Mahamadou Issoufou.
He had also been implicated in a 2015 coup attempt against the former president, which he denied in court.
In a televised speech, General Tchiani said he took over because of several problems in Niger, including insecurity, economic problems and corruption, among others.
The coup in Niger is the latest in a wave of takeovers to hit the West African region in recent years, toppling governments in countries such as Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
