'President Bazoum’s govt has been ousted from power' - Soldiers

<h2>A group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation’s national television late on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 hours after the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum was held in the presidential palace says his government has been ousted from power.</h2>, <p>Colonel Abdramane noted that Niger’s borders are closed, nationwide curfew has been declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended.</p>, <span>Niger Army spokesman Col. Major Amadou Adramane speaks during an appearance on national television after President Mohamed Bazoum was held in the presidential palace, in Niamey, Niger, July 26, 2023, in this still image taken from video. (ORTN/via Reuters TV/Handout via REUTERS)</span>, <p>Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers, said defence and security forces had decided: “Put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”</p>, <p>Abdramane said Niger’s borders are closed, a nationwide curfew declared, and all institutions of the republic are suspended. The soldiers warned against any foreign intervention, adding that they will respect Bazoum’s well-being.</p>, <p>The military takeover, which marks the seventh coup in the West and Central Africa region since 2020, could further complicate Western efforts to help countries in the Sahel region fight a jihadist insurgency that has spread from Mali over the past decade.</p>, <p>Land-locked Niger, a former French colony, has become a pivotal ally for Western powers seeking to help fight the insurgencies, but they are facing growing acrimony from the new juntas in charge in Mali and Burkina Faso.</p>, <p>Niger is also a key ally of the European Union in the fight against irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa. France moved troops to Niger from Mali last year after its relations with interim authorities there soured. It has also withdrawn special forces from Burkina Faso amid similar tensions.</p>, <p>Bazoum’s election was the first democratic tr