On the night of 26 to 27 July, Nigerien military personnel announced that they had seized power. But the coup d’état is “not complete”, says a source.
On 26 July, at around 11.30pm, the Nigerien army announced the creation of a Conseil National de Sauvegarde de la Patrie (CNSP) (national council for the salvation of the homeland), as well as the suspension of the constitution and the establishment of a curfew. The borders are also closed until further notice.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, dressed in blue military uniform, briefly addressed the nation on national television in a declaration filmed at the Garde Presidentielle, near the president’s residence.
During the day, the putschists had requisitioned a team of technicians to film the address, which they were later able to broadcast when a section of the army guarding the national television studios chose to join them. A source loyal to Mohamed Bazoum confirms that the putschists have control of the national media.
In the broadcast, Col. Abdramane said: “We have decided to end the