Can Niger and the other coup states in West Africa return to democracy? I DW News Africa

The coup in Niger has marked the fall of another democracy in Western Africa. Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum had been a beacon of hope in a region marred by military takeovers. In a piece for the Washington Post, he wrote that he is "a hostage."

Bazoum personifies the power of the ballot box to end the cycle of coups: he won clear majorities in both rounds of the 2021 presidential election. That was Niger's first peaceful transition of power, after his predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, stepped down, respecting the constitutional two-term limit on the presidency.

But Bazoum's victory was in jeopardy even before he took office: renegade soldiers staged an attempted coup just two days before his inauguration, but the Presidential Guard intervened.

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#Niger #WestAfrica #Democracy