Niger, which sits on the world’s largest uranium deposits, just overthrew its government and claimed the seat.
The Coup in Niger
Days ago, the President of Niger was overthrown by Niger’s presidential guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, who declared himself the head of state.
Also known as Omar Tchiani, he staged a takeover which started on Wednesday when the presidential guards unit he led seized the country’s leader.
Deposed President Mohamed Bazoum was Niger’s first elected leader to succeed another since independence in 1960.
Members of Niger’s Presidential Guard surrounded the president’s palace in Niamey on Wednesday and took Bazoum hostage.
Bazoum and his family were “doing well,” the Nigerien presidency said on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Later, the account repeated what Bazoum had posted on his personal page: “The hard-won achievements will be safeguarded. All Nigeriens who love democracy and freedom will see to it.” Neither account has posted anything further in the last 12 hours.
Niger is vital to U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Africa.
It’s one of the few countries in the region that has agreed to house U.S. drone bases and hundreds of American Special Forces and logistics experts involved in counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates.
The general, who is in his fifties and has previously kept out of public life, presented the coup as a response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.
Kenya condemns the Niger coup.
Many people in Niger are showing support for Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he was prepared to back sanctions against the perpetrators of a “dangerous” coup in Niger, after his foreign minister said the power grab did not appear to be definitive.
Protestors burned a French flag, declaring, “down with France!”
Several months ago, Nigerians protested against a CBDC, which is also planned for America soon, and the world.
The Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele said, “The destination, as far as I am concerned, is to achieve a 100% cashless economy in Nigeria.”
Last December, the central bank limited cash withdrawals to 100,000 naira (US$225) per week for individuals and 500,000 naira ($1,123) for businesses.
The difference between a central bank (government) digital currency and peer-to-peer electronic cash such as bitcoin is that the value of the digital currency is backed and controlled by the government, just like traditional fiat currency.
The U.S. is also backing Bazoum and calling for his release, though Blinken has stopped short of formally calling this week’s military takeover a coup.
Doing so would require the U.S. to cut aid. Instead, Blinken is calling it “an effort to seize power by force and to disrupt the constitution.”
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