Niger's Ex-President Bazoum Caught Attempting Escape to Nigeria After Coup

Mohamed Bazoum, the former president of Niger who has been under house arrest since a military coup on July 26, 2023, was recently caught attempting to escape to Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria, with his family and cooks. The Niamey appeal court confirmed that Bazoum was apprehended with foreign currency and SIM cards during the failed escape attempt.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Niger, imposing sanctions on the country and threatening military intervention if talks fail to restore civilian rule. The new military leaders in Niger have stated their desire for a maximum three-year transition period to restore constitutional order, while also expelling the French ambassador and denouncing military agreements with France.

According to a senior U.S. diplomat, Victoria Nuland, the Acting Deputy Secretary of State, Bazoum is being detained with his wife and son. Nuland was denied a meeting with Bazoum by the coup leaders during her visit to Niamey, describing the discussions with the military junta as "extremely frank and at times quite difficult." The coup leaders were reportedly "quite firm" about how they want to proceed, which is not in support of Niger's constitution.

Why this matters: The situation in Niger has raised concerns about contagion in the region, with military takeovers already occurring in Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso. The outcome of the diplomatic efforts by ECOWAS and the international community will have significant implications for the stability and democratic governance of West Africa.

The military junta in Niger plans to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for "high treason and undermining the internal and external security" of the country, a move that ECOWAS has strongly opposed. While the leader of the Niger junta, Abdourahmane Tchiani, has expressed readiness to explore diplomatic dialogue, ECOWAS parliament members have expressed differing opinions on the option of military intervention. Russia has warned ECOWAS that such intervention could escalate the situation, while a coalition of pressure groups and human rights lawyer Femi Falana have urged ECOWAS leaders to pursue dialogue with the junta.

Key Takeaways

• Ousted Niger president Bazoum caught trying to flee to Nigeria with family
• ECOWAS imposes sanctions, threatens military action to restore civilian rule in Niger
• Coup leaders want 3-year transition, expel French ambassador, denounce military deals
• US diplomat denied meeting with Bazoum, coup leaders firm on non-constitutional path
• Coup contagion concerns in West Africa, ECOWAS divided on military intervention