Niger enters a new phase of uncertainty as the presidential term of ousted leader Mohamed Bazoum expires, yet he remains detained by the junta led by Abdourahamane Tiani. Held since the July 2023 coup, Bazoum has refused to resign from office, and the junta shows no intention of releasing or trying him. Led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, the junta has also suspended the constitution and adopted a new charter that extended its own rule by five years with the option of renewal. Meanwhile, Bazoum’s lawyers argue his term cannot legally end since the coup prevented him from governing. Bazoum’s unresolved captivity normalizes the indefinite detention of democratically elected leaders, severely undermining democratic norms and emboldening authoritarianism across the Sahel.
Africanews
