An expert has told the international media that the coup leaders in Niger cited the country’s ongoing insecurity as one of the reasons behind their decision to overthrow President Mohamed Bazoum last week.
However, the expert, Olayinka Ajala from Leeds Beckett University, pointed out that a rift between some in the military and the president had been developing.
He mentioned that there was an ethnic dimension to the power struggle and growing discontent with the presence of foreign troops in the country.
President Bazoum, being from the ethnic Arab minority, was perceived by some as having foreign origins, adding to the complexities of the situation, as highlighted by Dr. Ajala in his analysis.
According to the expert, “this did not sit well within the military circle, which is predominantly composed of the larger ethnic groups.”
In addition to the reasons mentioned earlier, Dr. Ajala also highlighted that the presence of French troops in Niger after their expulsion from Mali last year, along with the establishment of US and French drone bases in the country, added to the growing discontent among certain factions within the Nigerien military.
According to David Kampmann from BBC Monitoring, there were reports suggesting that the leader of the coup, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, was on the verge of being replaced by President Bazoum as head of the presidential guard as part of security apparatus reforms.
Gen Tchiani apparently took preemptive action and ousted the president before any such changes could take place.
However, it’s important to note that these reports remain unconfirmed rumors, as emphasized by Mr. Kampmann.