Article – The news of the day: The situation of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum still uncertain
Since the coup that took place on July 26 in Niger, the situation of elected President Mohamed Bazoum remains worrying. While the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS), to which Bazoum belongs, gave reassuring news about his state of health, he remains held back by the putschists of the Presidential Guard.
According to the Deputy Secretary General of the PNDS, Boubacar Sabo, President Bazoum is doing “well” despite the difficult conditions in which he is being held hostage. The putschists notably cut off the electricity in his main residence, but that did not affect the morale of the president.
Nevertheless, Boubacar Sabo is concerned about the conditions of detention of President Bazoum and his arrested relatives and allies. He points out that all the personalities arrested are still in detention, describing their situation as hostage-taking and sequestration.
This situation also worries the international community. The head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called for the immediate release of the Nigerien president, expressing his concern about his increasingly worrying conditions of detention. For his part, US President Joe Biden also expressed his wish to see President Bazoum released, stressing the importance of defending democratic values and the constitutional order.
France also reiterated its support for the elected president, recalling that Mohamed Bazoum is the only legitimate representative of Nigeriens, recognized by the international community.
On this national day of Niger’s independence, the fate of President Bazoum remains uncertain