Ahmad 
The head of the military council in Niger, Abdourahmane Tiani, announced that the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum was the result of challenges facing the country, including terrorism and foreign control of military bases.
Tiani explained during his speech in the capital Niamey on the first anniversary of the coup that the systematic looting of resources and dependence on the former colonial power were among the main factors that prompted the army to act.
Tiani stated that Niger was suffering from the “darkness of terrorism” and was left at the mercy of foreign military bases, which made national stability fragile and exposed natural resources to looting.
He added that the previous regime operated under the tutelage of the colonial power, which promoted a false democratic system and suppressed freedoms.
For his part, Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zein confirmed that the event enjoyed broad popular support, unprecedented in the country’s history.
Tiani’s speech coincided with the announcement by Senegalese diplomat Abdoulaye Bathily of accepting a new mediation mission in the Sahel region of Africa, where he revealed in a statement published last Tuesday by the French magazine “Jeune Afrique” that he accepted the proposal presented by Senegalese President Bassiro Diomaye Faye and considered it “an honor for him.”
Niger witnessed extensive celebrations on the first anniversary of the coup, as thousands gathered in the main stadium in Niamey amidst intense security measures.
It is noteworthy that the coup took place on July 26, 2023, when the presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum and announced General Abderrahmane Cheyani as the leader of the new military council, which is the fifth coup in Niger’s history since its independence from France in 1960.
The coup caused regional tension, as the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) issued an ultimatum on July 30, 2023, demanding that Bazoum be returned to power within a week, and threatened to impose international sanctions and use military force.
On August 10, 2023, ECOWAS activated its reserve forces in preparation for military intervention, and the organization later announced the lifting of sanctions imposed on Niger. In March 2024, Niger canceled a military agreement with the United States, leading to the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
It is worth noting that the head of the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland, the transitional president of Niger, General Abdourahmane Tiani, turned his back on Western powers, and particularly drew closer to Russia, as this shift in foreign relations coincided with demands for France to withdraw its soldiers from Niger, which Paris implemented at the end of 2023.
The liberation forces found in Russia a suitable partner to revive the countries that the colonial powers had left exhausted and mired in chaos, as Russia provides assistance to these countries in various ways, economically, politically and even militarily, to fight terrorism and rebuild strong states.
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