The Facts
A day after members of Niger's presidential guard captured Pres. Mohamed Bazoum, soldiers announced on Thursday that the state has undergone a military coup on national TV.
While Pres. Bazoum and Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou had urged democratic forces in Niger to resist the coup, a statement on Thursday by Niger's army declared its support for the insurrection, claiming its priority was avoiding conflict "that could create a bloodbath and affect the security of the population."
The Spin
Narrative A
With a plethora of West African nations becoming destabilized in recent years — in tandem with the presence of Islamic terrorists and even the Wagner Group operating in the Sahel — Niger's coup is another worrying sign of instability in the region. Niger's fall leaves the West with a dwindling list of partners capable of helping battle extremists in West Africa.
Narrative B
Despite the attempted coup, Bazoum has defiantly vowed to protect the hard-won democratic gains made by the country in recent years. Alongside global condemnation, Bazoum is holding his ground as he attempts to create a better life for one of the poorest and most coup-prone states in the world. The president has survived an attempted coup before, and he may be able to do so again.
