Niger President in High Spirits Despite Detention
The president of Niger is in “good spirits” despite being detained under “difficult” circumstances by the junta that deposed him, according to his doctor’s report following a visit.
Since the 26 July coup, Mohamed Bazoum, his son, and his wife have been detained in the dungeon of his palace in Niamey.
The doctor was quoted by the French public radio station RFI as saying, “Living conditions continue to be difficult, with electricity still out,”
The visit was authorized as international demands for his release increased.
According to RFI, this was the president’s first contact with the outside world since his ouster.
Mr. Bazoum, 63, is said to have lost a “worrying” amount of weight, and his 20-year-old son, who suffers from a chronic medical condition, was reportedly denied treatment.
RFI reported that the doctor was able to speak with the Head of State, as well as his wife and son. “All is well, he reported. The physician also brought them food and medication.”
“After the visit, President Bazoum’s family expressed relief,” the radio station reported.
The decision by the junta, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to send in the president’s family physician appears to be a reaction to widespread criticism of the president’s detention since the coup.
Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, characterized the detention conditions as inhumane, degrading, and in violation of international human rights law.
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His 34-year-old daughter, Zazia, who was on vacation in France during the coup, told the Guardian this week that her father, mother, and brother were surviving without clean water or electricity and on rice and pasta.
She stated that fresh food was decaying in the refrigerator because there was no power.
She told the newspaper, “The current state of my family is extremely precarious.” They claim they will continue to fight, but it’s difficult to see our family trapped in this circumstance.
On July 26, the military of Niger deposed the democratically elected president in a coup.
It mirrored similar military takeovers in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, amid an Islamist insurgency and a rising Russian influence in the broader Sahel region via the Wagner mercenary group.
Mr. Bazoum was able to publish an article in The Washington Post stating that he was a hostage and that the coup would have “devastating consequences for our country, our region, and the entire world” despite being held captive.
It has been over a week since US President Joe Biden called for the “immediate release” of Mr. Bazoum and the “preservation of Niger’s hard-won democracy.”
Ecowas, a bloc of West African states, had imposed a deadline for the coup leaders to step down, which had subsequently passed.
It did not carry out its threats of military intervention, and the junta continues to disregard calls for the president’s release.
Saturday, Ecowas announced its intention to dispatch a committee to Niger to meet with coup leaders.
Niger President in High Spirits Despite Detention
