Thousands of supporters of the military coup in Niger gathered at a Niamey stadium Sunday, when a deadline set by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to return the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to power is set to expire, according to AFP journalists. A delegation of members of the now-ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) arrived at the 30,000-seat stadium to cheers from supporters, many of whom carried in Russian flags and portraits of CNSP leaders. The stadium, named after Seyni Kountche, who led Niger’s first coup d’etat in 1974, was almost full and the atmosphere was festive, AFP journalists saw. General Mohamed Toumba, one of the CNSP leaders, denounced in a speech those “lurking in the shadows” who were “plotting subversion” against “the forward march of Niger”. The coup has been widely condemned by Western and African nations, though Niger’s military received support from their counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso — both countries which saw military coups take power in the past three years.

Source: The North Africa Journal August 06, 2023 17:08 UTC