Niger Coup Plotters Begin Mass Arrests Over Approved France Invasion

Military coup plotters in Niger on Monday begin mass arrest of ministers and other top government officials following a claim that the Niger Foreign Minister has granted permission to France, to take military action and invade the West Africa country in order to set free the detained President Mohammed Bazoum.

Videos from Niger showed supporters of the Military coup plotters gathered at the French embassy in Niger, carried out some level of destruction and damages to the building in protest against the intending France invasion.

The rebels who staged the coup in Niger detained 4 ministers and the leader of the country’s ruling party, according to foreign media.

Also, the Niger ruling party announced earlier on Monday that the military junta began arresting government ministers.

Heads of the military coup plotters accused the overpowered government of inviting France to take military intervention.

Amadou Abdraman, a soldier involved in the coup in Niger, said on national television that France had requested permission from the Nigerien Armed Forces to launch airstrikes on the their country.

International News agency, Reuters had reported that France has permission to take military action against Niger

The news agency reported that the previous government of the West African country allowed France to strike the capital in order to free the ousted President Mohamed Bazum.

One of the participants in the coup d’état, Amadou Abdraman, said that the permission was signed by Niger’s Foreign Minister.

Colonel Amadou Abdraman, who is also one of the commanders of the coup, said that the authorization for the military intervention was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Niger, Hassoumi Masoud, the acting prime minister.

A check in Niger showed that the situation at the French embassy is heating up for the second day as thousands of people with anti-French posters gathered outside the building chanting different slogans. They declare their support for the participants in the coup d’état in Niger. It was gathered that the protesters on Sunday demanded the closure of all foreign bases in the African country.

Before now, following the reports of plans being made for an upcoming military invasion by a Joint Coalition of France-ECOWAS, the population of Niger went on streets in support of military junta that took power in a military coup against the democratically elected and French-aligned President Mohammed Bazoum.

Massive gatherings observed in Niamey, Capital of Niger, specially outside of the Embassy of the French Republic,
Anti-French banners and Nigerien and Russian flags are seen in the hands of thousands of demonstrators, who call for France to abandon its alleged plans to invade the country to overthrow the New Military Junta.

Meanwhile, the military junta in Niger has warned West African leaders who met in Abuja on Sunday against military intervention in the country’s ongoing coup.

West African leaders met in the Nigerian capital, Abuja on Sunday for an emergency summit on Niger, where the ECOWAS member countries imposed sanctions by thus closing air and land borders against Niger with seven days ultimatum given to the military coup plotters to restore the government of President Mohammed Bazoum.

General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the head of the powerful presidential guard, announced on Friday as the new head of the Military government in Niger had on Saturday night in a televised statement via the military spokesperson warned against any such military intervention by ECOWAS saying soldiers are ready to defend their homeland.

“The objective of the (ECOWAS) meeting is to approve a plan of aggression against Niger through an imminent military intervention in Niamey in collaboration with other African countries that are non-members of ECOWAS, and certain western countries,” junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane said.

“We want to once more remind ECOWAS or any other adventurer, of our firm determination to defend our homeland,” he added.

The junta also issued another statement calling on citizens in capital Niamey to come out into the streets Sunday from 7 am local time (8 am CET) and demonstrate against ECOWAS to show support for the new military leadership.