Consider This from NPR - Leaders of the Niger Coup Face a Deadline to Avoid Military Intervention

Episode Date: July 31, 2023

Two years ago, Mohamed Bazoum was elected as president in Niger's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. He enjoyed the backing of Western governments, including the United States. Then, last week, members of his own presidential guard detained him and seized power. The coup in Niger is part of a wave of attempted, and successful, power grabs in West and Central Africa, a region gripped by political instability. Now, a group of West African nations imposed sanctions on Niger, and threatened military action if the coup leaders don't reinstate the president within the week. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu reports from neighboring country Nigeria, and he brings us the latest developments. We discuss what this means for the Sahel, and for democracies around the world. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Email us at [e-mail] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University performs breakthrough research every year, making discoveries that improve human health, combat climate change, and move society forward. More at iu.edu forward. Two years ago, the West African country Niger marked a historic milestone, the country's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. They elected Mohamed Bazoum as president. He enjoyed the backing of Western governments, including the United States. Then, last week, members of his own presidential guard detained him and seized power.

In a late-night announcement on television, soldiers in Niger declared the military had taken over. The group imposed a curfew, closed the country's borders, said the constitution had been dissolved. A general who had led Bazoum's presidential guard, Abdou Rahman Chiani, declared himself the country's new leader. The coup in Niger is part of a wave of attempted and successful power grabs in West and Central Africa, a region gripped by political instability. Coming up, what it means for the Sahel and for democracies around the world. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Mary Louise Kelly. It's Monday, July 31st. This message comes from WISE, the app for doing things in other currencies.

Send, spend, or receive money internationally, and always get the real-time mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees. Download the Wise app today or visit wise.com. T's and C's apply. This message comes from Pushkin. In Revenge of the Tipping Point, best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell returns to the subject of social epidemics and tipping points and the dark side of contagious phenomena, available wherever books are sold and wherever you get your audiobooks. This message comes from Indiana University. Indiana University drives discovery, innovation, and creative endeavors to solve some of society's greatest challenges. Groundbreaking investments in

neuroscience, climate change, Alzheimer's research, and cybersecurity mean IU sets new standards to move the world forward, unlocking cures and solutions that lead to a better future for all. More at iu.edu forward. The morning after the coup in Niger, a few hundred people gathered in front of the National Assembly in the capital, Niamey, to show their support for the new leadership. The weakness of governments is the key element that explains this coup, because it's not the first one. Rama Yad is senior director of the Atlantic Council's Africa Center. She spoke to NPR's Scott Simon this weekend. Niger is the fourth country in West Africa to experience a coup d'etat in the last three years, as military leaders who are not necessarily popular themselves seek to capitalize on the struggles of fledgling democracies. A part of the population demonstrated in the streets to express support, but it does not mean

that the vast majority of the country is behind them. Now the question is for the Western countries. Should they still continue to support Niger with this new power, or should they withdraw their support? During the protests at the French embassy over the weekend, some demanded the departure of French troops. Some waved Russian flags. Niger is a key ally for the West. Russia is motivated to look for opportunities for influence in Africa. The implications of what happens in Niger extend far beyond the country itself. I think the reactions of the populations will be key. What's going on here in the Sahel

will have an impact not only on Africa, but also, I think, in Ukraine, Europe, and on the global stage. This weekend, a group of West African nations imposed sanctions on Niger and threatened military action if the coup leaders do not reinstate the president within the week. We're joined now by NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu in neighboring Nigeria for more. Hey there. Hi, thanks for having me. Get us up to speed. What's the latest?

Yes, you know, this group of generals guarded President Mohamed Bazoum, but now they've deposed and detained him. He's been at his residence since Wednesday. And 62-year-old Abdurrahman Chiani, the general and head of the presidential guard, he's now declared himself the president. For now, he's backed by the military, and he claims the cause of this is rising insecurity from Islamist insurgencies, corruption, and poor government.

You know, these are the same reasons we've heard over and over again, sadly, in recent coups in West Africa and East Africa. But here in Niger currently, there's a sense that there may be more to this than is yet to emerge. You know, the State Department said today that Chiani moved last week because he thought he was going to get fired, and that this is essentially a hostage situation. In the last few hours, cabinet ministers who are deemed loyal to the ousted president, they've been arrested. And the international community overall, you know, they've really been strong in condemning this coup

and regional leaders in West Africa, they've been in this frantic effort to try to reverse this and free the president. And we've also seen in the army in the capital pro-coup protests, but the coup isn't necessarily supported by everyone. And this is a really pretty tense and fast-moving situation. I mean, so much drama. But help us understand why the wider world is so focused on this. Because Niger is a landlocked country. It's a mostly quite poor country. Why are the stakes so high for the region and for the wider world? Yes, exactly.

It's about where Niger is placed in the regional implications of a country like this being taken over by the military. You know, this is a region of fragile countries where islamist insurgencies are sadly on the rise. It's a desert arid region and there are millions of people in some of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. And there are fears that situations like this could unravel the region further and turn this into a launchpad for foreign attacks. It's part of why the US, France and other Western countries have poured more and more support into the Sahel and countries like Niger over the last decade. There are over a thousand US troops there at the moment and France have an even larger force of close to 3,000 troops based there and their operations in Niger have become really key because in the last few years Mali and to a lesser extent Burkina Faso they've severed

ties with the West and France and that's left Niger's president and government as basically the last remaining Western ally in the Sahel. And now that domino has fallen, maybe permanently, depending on how things go from here. So let's focus on this deadline that has been given to the coup leaders. Step down, stand down within a week or else. Tell me more about who is making that demand and how it is being received. So the group of West African countries is called ECOWAS. And they've been at the forefront of the response to this.

The response has really been quite quick and defiant. The chair of ECOWAS is the Nigerian president, Bola Amed Tinubu. We will not allow coup after coup. We must bite back. He said, we must bite back. He said, we must bite back. You know, he even went as far as to say, we cannot sit and be a toothless bulldog. And so he said, you know,

ECOWAS has given the Niger leaders an ultimatum, that they have a week to return the country back to democratic rule and release the president. And if not, ECOWAS will take other actions, including the possibility of military intervention. You know, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, he's actually backed the statement. And it's a really bold, risky move, because it's not clear what military intervention will look like. But in whatever form that is, it's going to have a very real risk that it can

destabilize things even further. And the reason for this really strong response is that the coups put immense pressure on neighbors of Niger, like Nigeria, where I am. You know, these countries nearly all have militaries that have launched coups in the distant or not too distant past that might now feel emboldened. And ECOWAS's response to past coups, such as in Mali and Guinea, were really widely criticized as inadequate and maybe even incentivizing coups, such as in Mali and Guinea, were really widely criticized as inadequate and maybe even incentivizing coups elsewhere. So now they've decided that their response has to be much tougher. Just to push you on what you just said there, the possibility of military intervention and that we don't know what that would look like. How real is that, Emmanuel? Because it seems like, as you

noted, there is a real risk it would destabilize things rather than bring any stability back. Absolutely. That's a question that has animated discussion in West Africa since they've made this threat. Nigeria, for example, has one of the stronger militaries in the region, but also is battling issues, internal issues in the country. Chad is in the same situation. And so some of the countries that would be part of this force have major security threats they're all facing. However, we've seen in the past ECOWAS be able to put together regional forces to intervene in countries, but the nature of the threat seems very, very risky. And we'll have to see what pans out. You know, I think because of

the frantic diplomatic work going in to kind of revert this, you'd like to believe that everyone is trying to make sure that doesn't happen. But if a week comes and nothing has changed, well, we'll have to see how that unfolds. Yeah. Just listening to you, I'm getting a sense of just how complex the regional issues in play are. This is a region that was once known as the coup belt. Is that right? Give me a little bit more of the history. Yes, you know, right from Guinea, which is on the coast of West Africa, to Sudan on the east coast, you know, there's now a continuous stretch of countries that have fallen under military rule in just a few years. And you know, these militaries

have basically used the fragilities of corrupt and ineffective governments and prolonged insecurity basically as an excuse to take over. And the response to these coups from countries in regional countries in Africa is really a major challenge because countries want to show and make sure that they send a strong message that this can't happen because they don't want this to be incentivized elsewhere. But any diplomatic isolation against these countries that have launched coups could lead to stronger ties with Russia and the Wagner mercenary group. And we've seen that in places like Mali, where the Wagner group now are embedded and operate with the army.

And we've seen several rights abuses. So this is a factor that will be in many people's minds. NPR's Emmanuel Akinwotu in Lagos, Nigeria. Thanks for your reporting. Thank you. It's Consider This. From NPR, I'm Mary-Louise Kelly. Support for NPR and the following message come from Carnegie Corporation of New York,

working to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace. More information at carnegie.org.