Niger: Military attempt to overthrow President Mohammed Bazoum

By Mike Klaus

There has been an attempted military coup in Niger to remove President Mohammed Bazoum, according to multiple African news outlets.

Several members of Bazoum’s cabinet, including the Niger defense minister, have reportedly been arrested. According to reports, the president has also lost touch with his personal security detail.

Reports say efforts began at around 6 a.m. on July 26, 2023, with the military sealing off all access to Niamey, the capital.

There have been reports that the president’s security has stayed faithful to Bazoum despite the military’s attempt to overthrow him.

There has been no public statement regarding the attempted coup from the military or the president’s inner circle as of yet.

Bazoum was the head of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism before he was elected president. From 1995 to 1996 and again from 2011 to 2016, he was also Foreign Minister.

From 2016 until his election as president in 2021, he served as Minister of State at the Presidency and then as Minister of State for the Interior.