00:00 Niger's capital appears calm, with people going about business as usual, as the deadline
00:08 set by West Africa's regional bloc for President Basuum to be reinstated after the July 26
00:14 coup expired.
00:15 If there are fears that with the expiration of the deadline set by the economic community
00:19 of West African states, West Africa itself might be on the brink of regional war, there
00:24 were little signs of it on the streets of Niger's capital, Nayame.
00:31 Already the economic community of West African states has hinted that it wants diplomatic
00:35 solution and wants to avoid using force to oust the military junta that has taken over
00:40 Niger after the July 26 coup.
00:43 The seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years has rocked the entire Western
00:48 Sahel region, one of the poorest in the world, but with strategic importance globally.
00:53 But how did it all begin in Niger and why are the US, France, Russia and China watching
00:57 the developments so closely?
00:59 On the morning of July 26, Niger's presidential guard, a group supposed to protect the democratically
01:05 elected President Mohammed Basuum, blockaded the presidential palace.
01:09 Soldiers appeared on state television and announced that they had removed the president
01:13 from power and taken control of the government.
01:16 Two days later, commander of the presidential guard, General Abdul Rahman Tiani, addressed
01:21 the nation on television, proclaiming himself the leader of Niger.
01:24 Basuum supporters protested on the streets, but the junta quickly put them down.
01:29 A curfew was imposed and the nation's borders were sealed.
01:33 The news disturbed the Western world, particularly the US and France, which have for many years
01:37 considered Niger as a reliable partner in a region otherwise marked by terrorism, violence
01:42 and frequent coups.
01:45 The UN suspended its humanitarian operations in Niger and aid has been halted.
01:49 The UK has seized what it calls long-term development assistance.
01:52 For the West, the situation in Niger is disturbing because of the country's geopolitical importance
01:57 in an area with Russian influence.
02:00 Analysts believe that the coup could create an opportunity for Russia and other regional
02:03 actors to spread their influence in Niger.
02:07 According to the junta, the coup was a response to the continuing deterioration of security
02:11 in Niger.
02:12 They said that the president's measures were not good enough.
02:14 It is a fact that for many years and like many countries in the region, Niger has seen
02:19 growing Islamist insurgencies linked to Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
02:24 The junta also pointed out that Niger's economy was on the brink of a collapse.
02:29 However, reports showed that despite frequent military attacks, Niger has been comparatively
02:34 safer than other countries in the region, with fewer deaths than Mali and Burkina Faso,
02:38 both of which have seen military coups.
02:41 The military takeover marks the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020 and
02:46 is expected to complicate Western efforts to help countries in the Sahel region fight
02:50 a jihadist insurgency that has spread from Mali over the past decade.
02:54 The coup will not only have a deep impact on Niger but also on the entire region, which
02:59 includes Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan and Eritrea.
03:06 The entire region is ravaged by political instability and a food and climate crisis,
03:09 with Niger until now an oasis of democracy.
03:13 Bazoum's election in 2021 was the first democratic transition of power in a state that has witnessed
03:18 four military coups since independence in 1960 after being colonized by France in the
03:23 late 1890s.
03:24 The colony of Niger was a French colonial position covering much of the area of the
03:28 modern West African state of Niger, as well as portions of Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad.
03:33 Today, in the aftermath of a coup, it lies in a state of chaos with an uncertain political
03:38 and democratic future.
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