“Calm in the streets”: Catholic Priest Weighs in On Situation in Niger After Coup

Reuters reported that Colonel Amadou Abdramane among other nine officers announced the removal of the president from power on the night of July 26, saying that the action is meant to “put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”

The coup that has seen the suspension of all political activities and the closure of borders is the seventh one in West and Central Africa since 2020.

Niger has been experiencing political instability since the election of President Bazoum in 2021 when a coup attempt was thwarted as the military unit tried to seize the presidential palace days before his swearing-in.

While the West African country has been “perceived by many as one of the last bulwarks against expanding insecurity in the region,” some analysts link the coup to the rising as well as what has been described as “government incompetence and corruption”.

In his July 27 report to Agenzia Fides, Fr. Armanino lists the “dismantling of opposition political parties (whether desired or suffered ...) and the 'migration' of deputies to the presidential field reducing the institutional political space” as one of the possible causes of the coup.

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Fr. Armanino also says that the “suppression of the intellectual class, bought, sold or auctioned, has led to a thought vacuum that is difficult to fill,” thereby partly contributing to the coup.

Reacting to the coup, President Bazoum through Twitter indicated plans to ensure that “hard-earned achievements will be safeguarded.”

“All Nigerians who love democracy and freedoms will be taken care of. The coup militants claim to have the other units of the army and the police on their side, but for the moment the situation continues to appear fluid,” the Nigerian president said.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.