Reuters.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded on Thursday (July 27) that those detaining Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum release him "immediately and unconditionally."
"Stop obstructing the democratic governance of the country and respect the rule of law," Guterres told reporters.
Niger's army command on Thursday (July 27) declared its support for a coup carried out the previous day by soldiers of the presidential guard, saying its priority was to avoid destabilizing the country.
Hundreds of supporters of the coup gathered in front of the National Assembly in the capital Niamey, playing pro-army music under an overcast sky left by heavy morning showers.
Some waved Russian flags and chanted anti-French slogans, echoing a growing wave of resentment towards former colonial power France and its influence in the Sahel region.
At Bazoum's party office, hundreds of people set fires to vehicles and buildings, while young men looted motorbikes, chairs, and other supplies from the building. Police later dispersed them with tear gas, a Reuters reporter said.
The army, in a statement signed by its chief of staff, said it had "decided to adhere to the ...declaration" made by soldiers who announced in a late-night televised address that they had stripped President Mohamed Bazoum of power.
African Union chair Azali Assoumani said that the African Union "decisively" condemns a coup in Niger, and called for the release of President Mohamed Bazoum.
