By Marc Ramsingh
On July 26, 2023, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, a commander of Nigers presidential guard, began a coup to overthrow the sitting government and placed President Mohamed Bazoum under military-enforced house arrest. This is widely considered a very unpopular move that drew criticism from most of Europe, including France and the Economic Community of West African states, who declared a request to the fraudulent government.
A region plagued with turmoil
Even before the current coup, Niger was in turmoil. The country has found itself to be the battleground for several fights against major terrorist groups such as Isis and Al Qaeda straining the land and its resources.