On Wednesday, soldiers in Niger claimed to have overthrown the nation’s president. Their actions could have lasting consequences for democracy in the African nation.
This takeover was a mutiny. The soldiers are President Mohamed Bazoum’s own security guard. The group calls itself the “National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country.”
Wednesday brought uncertainty as guards surrounded the palace and detained the president. A tweet went out from the president’s official account. It accused the mutinous guards of “anti-Republican demonstration.” It urged other security forces to come and help. Help didn’t arrive.
Niger—not to be confused with its southern neighbor, Nigeria—became independent from France in 1960. But independence didn’t bring peace. Over and over, the nation’s leaders failed to transfer power without conflict.
The peaceful transfer of power is essential to a working democracy. It means that a leader lets a new elected official take his or her place. In 2020, Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou announced that he would step down. For the first time since 1960, the nation transferred power peacefully. Niger’s people elected President Bazoum.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March. He called the country “a model of democracy.”
This week’s takeover threatens the nation’s grasp on that success.
Some of Niger’s people won’t give up peace so easily. As the president’s guards took over, citizens took to the streets on Wednesday. They marched in support of the president while chanting “No coup d’etat.” (Coup d’etat is French for “rebellion.”)
“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,” says protester Mohammed Sidi. “We are a democratic country, we support democracy, and we don’t need this kind of movement.”
But on Thursday, coup supporters gathered. Some carried Russian flags. Others held up signs saying “Down with France” and “Foreign bases out,” according to BBC News. Some accuse the president’s party of corruption and not doing enough to improve security.
Officials from the United States and the United Nations voice support for Niger’s rightful president. Under President Bazoum, Niger has served as a key Western ally against Islamist extremism in the region.
Earthly attempts at peace often fail. That’s because every human government has one thing in common: All are led by people. All humans struggle with sin. But in the midst of conflict and uncertainty, we can rest in the one King who will never be overthrown.
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? — Psalm 2:1
