Niger Presidential Palace Blocked by Soldiers As Speculations of Coup Surface

Both AFP and Reuters news agencies stated that their reporters on the ground witnessed military vehicles blocking the entrance to the presidential palace in the capital Niamey, WioNews reported.

An official in the presidency told Reuters that staff inside the palace have been prevented from accessing their offices.

President Mohamed Bazoum's whereabouts were not immediately clear. Bazoum, known as a close ally of France, was elected in 2021.

Access to ministries next to the palace was also reported to be blocked, according to security sources.

The movements of the military forces have triggered speculations about the possibility of another coup d'état in the country.

Niger, a landlocked West African nation, has experienced four coups since gaining independence from France in 1960, as well as numerous attempted ones.

The most recent coup occurred in February 2010, which overthrew then-president Mamadou Tandja. President Bazoum has reportedly faced two coup attempts.

One attempt to overthrow him occurred just two days before his inauguration on March 31, 2021, according to local media reports.

A second bid to oust Bazoum took place in March of this year while he was in Turkey, as per an official from Niger, who also mentioned an arrest in connection with the incident.

The authorities have never publicly commented on these incidents.

In January 2018, a military court sentenced nine soldiers and a civilian to jail terms ranging from five to 15 years for attempting to topple Bazoum's predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, in 2015.