Niger Coup: Bazoum’s family demands to know his fate
Despite more than four months passing since the coup in Niger, the fate of President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted from power, remains unknown.
Relatives of Bazoum expressed their concern on Thursday as they have not heard any news about him since October 18th, condemning the “arrests” and “arbitrary searches” some of them have faced.
Since the military removed Bazoum on July 26th, he has been held at his residence in the presidential palace with his wife and son.
Despite continuous calls from several countries for his release, the new military regime in Niger has rejected them all.
Bazoum’s family said in a statement released on Thursday, “Since October 18th, there has been no news of President Bazoum and his wife Khadija Mbarouk and their son Salem, who have been held hostage by the presidential guard.”
They added, “Many members of our family have been subjected to arrests and arbitrary searches by the military authorities.”
The family’s lawyer, Ould Salem Sidi, told the press, “We noticed a focus on President Bazoum’s family,” pointing out searches of their relatives’ homes.
The lawyer added that “unknown armed elements abducted” Bazoum’s uncle on Sunday and “arrested” his wife’s brother, adding that he filed a complaint with the public prosecutor on charges of “kidnapping, seizure, and arbitrary detention.”
The coup in Niger has been met with rejection both African and internationally. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed strict sanctions on Niger and warned of possible military intervention if diplomatic efforts to return Bazoum to power fail.
In October last year, the ruling military regime in Niger announced that Bazoum had made a failed attempt to escape from his prison.
The spokesperson for the ruling regime in Niamey, Colonel-Major Amadou Abdul Rahman, said in a televised statement that Bazoum “attempted around 3 a.m. on Thursday to escape from his place of detention with his family, cooks, and two security personnel,” confirming that this attempt “failed.”
The spokesperson explained that Bazoum’s escape plan first involved moving him “to a hideout on the outskirts of Niamey,” and then he would board helicopters belonging to a “foreign force (not named)” towards Nigeria.
