Niger's presidential guard surrounds leader's home in what African organisations call a coup attempt

Members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace Wednesday in what African organizations called an attempted coup against the country’s democratically elected leader.

Members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace Wednesday in what African organizations called an attempted coup against the country's democratically elected leader. The U.S. said the rebelling soldiers had detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

A tweet from the account of Niger's presidency reported that members of the elite guard unit engaged in an “anti-Republican demonstration” and unsuccessfully tried to obtain support from other security forces. It said Bazoum and his family were doing well but that Niger's army and national guard “are ready to attack” if those involved in the action did not back down.

The commissions of the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States described the events as an effort to unseat Bazoum, who was elected president two years ago in the nation's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960.

The governments of France and the United States also voiced concern and urged the participating guardsmen to change course. Bazoum's administration has made Niger a key Western partner in the fight against Islamist extremism in Africa's Sahel region.

“We strongly condemn any effort to detain or subvert the functioning of Niger’s democratically elected government, led by President Bazoum,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. “We specifically urge elements of the presidential guard to release President Bazoum from detention and refrain from violence.”

Streets surrounding the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, were blocked off Wednesday, as were some government ministries. In the early evening, hundreds of people chanting "No coup d’etat” marched in support of the president. Multiple rounds of gunfire that appeared to come from the presidential palace dispersed the demonstrators and sent people scrambling for cover, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene..

“We are here to show the people that we are not happy about this movement going on; just to show these military people that they can’t just take the power like this,” protester Mohammed Sidi said. “We are a democratic country, we support democracy and we don’t need this kind of movement.”