The presidential term of Niger’s ousted leader, Mohamed Bazoum, officially ends on Thursday, yet the former head of state remains in detention, leaving his future uncertain.
Bazoum, 66, was sworn in on April 2, 2021, following democratic elections in which he secured 55% of the vote. He has been held since the coup of July 26, 2023, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, confined with his wife in a wing of the presidential palace in Niamey. Despite his detention, Bazoum has refused to resign.
“His mandate was interrupted and never resumed. If Mr Bazoum were to return to power tomorrow, the period of his detention should not be counted as part of his time in office,” said Moussa Coulibaly, a member of Bazoum’s legal team.
Political analyst Valery Ntwali, a specialist in coups in sub-Saharan Africa, noted that under Nigerien law, Bazoum has “lost his legal standing since the Constitution under which he was elected has been suspended.” The junta replaced the Constitution with a new charter last March, allowing it to remain in power for five additional years. No elections have been held since the coup.
Internationally, the situation remains tense. While the junta has resumed limited cooperation with the United States on security issues and strengthened ties with Russia, relations with France and the European Union are strained. The European Parliament recently passed a resolution calling for Bazoum’s immediate release, triggering protests in Niamey and Ouagadougou.
French MEP Christophe Gomart criticised the international response, saying, “This is a failure of the international community. I do not understand how we have not managed to secure the release of this democratically elected president… The European Union should have applied pressure.”
Bazoum’s presidential immunity was lifted in 2024, but his legal team considers it unlikely that the official end of his term will hasten the start of a trial. His lawyers suggest the junta views him as a “human shield” in the event of potential military intervention.
After nearly three years in confinement, Bazoum remains in the same conditions, with no windows, no doors, and limited visits, aside from medical checks, according to Coulibaly.
