The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, on Wednesday, July 26, condemned a coup attempt in Niger. It is reported that Niger presidential guards are holding President Mohamed Bazoum and his family in his residence, and the soldiers have sealed off the presidential palace as well as several ministries in Niamey. ALSO READ: AU condemns deadly attack on army base in Somalia After being informed of the intentions of certain soldiers to undermine the stability of democratic and republican institutions, which is similar to an attempted coup d'etat, Mahamat said that he “strongly condemns such actions by soldiers acting in total betrayal of their republican duty.” He urged them to immediately stop such an unacceptable undertaking. “He calls on the people of Niger, all his brothers in Africa, in particular ECOWAS, and in the world, to join their voices for a unanimous condemnation of such an attempt and for an immediate and unconditional return of the felon soldiers to their barracks,” a statement from the AU boss revealed. Earlier, the President’s office tweeted that “The President and his family are doing well and the Army and the National Guard are ready to attack” those involved in this incident. ALSO READ: Niger Minister pays tribute to Genocide victims The landlocked West African state has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960, as well as numerous attempted coups. The country's last coup occurred in February 2010, overthrowing then President Mamadou Tandja. Niger is grappling with two jihadist campaigns - one in the south-west, which swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015, and the other in the south-east, involving jihadists based in north-eastern Nigeria. This is while reports indicate that militant groups allied to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State are active in the country.
