President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic has been removed from office in a bloodless coup staged by Nigerien soldiers, the country defence and security forces have claimed.
The politician has been reportedly under detention by members of the presidential guard at his official residence since Wednesday morning.
The soldiers announced the coup in televised broadcast in the early hours of Thursday, The Nation reports.
In the broadcast, ten senior officers, led by Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, said: “We, the defence and security forces … have decided to put an end to the regime you are familiar with.”
They alleged that the deteriorating security situation and poor social and economic administration were the reasons they had taken over.
“This follows the continuous deterioration of the security situation, the bad social and economic management. We reaffirm our support to all commitments undertaken by Niger.”
The soldiers leader announced that a national curfew has been imposed, the country’s borders have been closed, and all of the republic’s institutions have been suspended.
The soldiers also issued a warning against any foreign interference.
Earlier, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union decried what they called an “attempted coup d’etat”.
The United Nations and the United States also called for Bazoum’s release.