There was incident in Niger Republic yesterday as the deposed President, Mohammed Bazoum has attempted escape from custody of the military junta but was foiled according to report. Mohamed Bazoum was the President of Niger Republic who was toppled from office through a military junta in July, 2023 that nearly throw Nigeria and Niger into a war through ECOWAS decision.
The junta leader yesterday through its spokesperson, Amadou Abdramane said, “At around three in the morning, the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum and his family, his two cooks and two security elements, tried to escape from his place of detention”.
Abdramane added that though the escape bid was foiled, however, “the main actors and some of the accomplices” have been arrested, and investigation has commenced, saying during a broadcast late Thursday.
Describing the escape plan, he said Bazoum first went into a hideout on the outskirts of the capital Niamey. Although, the spokesperson did not disclosed where the ousted president is being held at the moment, however, in September, Bazoum’s lawyers said he filed a legal case with a court of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, against those who deposed him.
The lawyer added that they were also taking his case to the UN Human Rights Council.
The army officers who overthrew Bazoum cited as justification the deteriorating security situation in the country because of jihadist consistent attacks on the both the military and civilian populace.
Niger is battling two jihadist insurgencies: a spill over in its southeast from a long-running conflict in neighbouring Nigeria; and an offensive in the west by militants crossing from Mali and Burkina Faso.
Just this month of October, Niger held three days of national mourning after 29 soldiers were killed in a suspected jihadist attack, the deadliest since the military took power in July.
Yesterday, the first group of French soldiers, whom were ordered out of Niger Republic by its post-coup military rulers arrived N’Djamena, the capital of neighbouring Chad Republic by road.
According to the army spokesman Pierre Gaudilliere, who spoke with AFP, the convoy “has arrived without any particular problems” in N’Djamena after 10 days on the road and in coordination with Nigerien forces.
The troops will are expected to depart to France by air from Chad, with the pullout expected to be completed by the end of December.
It was learned that about 1,400 French soldiers were based in the capital city of Niamey and western Niger to fight terrorist linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, bringing with them fighter jets, drones, helicopters and armoured vehicles, as well as the equipment to support them.
France has been a supporter of the ousted President Bazoum since the junta toppled his government and is calling for his release, however, the military regime has stood it’s ground for now.
