“It is time to take our lives into our own hands, to work for ourselves. It is time to talk about freedom and independence. We need to unite, work together, we need to achieve real independence,” Umar Baru Moussa, one of the participants in the demonstration, he told reporters. He also said that the European Union, the African Union and ECOWAS should not interfere in Niger’s internal affairs.
The African Union has issued a 15-day ultimatum to the military, demanding the restoration of a democratically elected government. Also on Sunday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will meet in the Nigerian capital, after which a communiqué on the situation in Niger must be adopted.
On Wednesday morning in Niger, the presidential guard blocked the presidential palace, announcing the overthrow of the head of state. The military cited “the deteriorating security situation and poor governance” as the reason for its actions, but some experts believe the incident was the result of an internal power struggle.
