President William Ruto has added his voice in condemning Wednesday’s coup d’état in Niger and called for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum.
President Mohamed Bazoum is reportedly seized by Presidential guards and blockaded his residence, as well as key ministries.
The Head of State who is in Mombasa, urged the parties involved in the coup to refrain from further escalation that might jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of the people of Niger.
Condemning the coup, Dr. Ruto called for the swift restoration of constitutional rule ensuring the protection of the population and a return to full civilian authority while upholding at most respect for the countries institutions and implored on all parties to engage in constructive discourse to restore peace in Niger
The President said that the resurgence of military coups to subvert the will of the people demanded a united and global response to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
“Let us stand together as one to re-affirm our commitment to democracy, liberty and the progress Africa has achieved. We must remain vigilant guarding against any slide back into dark days that threatened the hard fought gains in democracy,” President Ruto stated.
On Thursday, coup supporters attacked the headquarters of the ousted president’s party, setting it on fire and stoning and burning cars outside.
The small group of arsonists had broken away from a larger show of support for the coup leaders outside parliament, where Russian flags were on show.
The army has now given its backing to the troops who took President Mohamed Bazoum captive on Wednesday.
The 64-year-old, who was elected as Niger’s president two years ago, is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in West Africa.
