By Milcah Tanimu

US President Joe Biden has issued a statement calling for the immediate release of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in a coup by his own Presidential Guard a week ago. The military junta in Niger is currently detaining the democratically elected President.

The coup has been met with condemnation from various world leaders, including the United States, European nations, and the United Nations. In his statement, President Biden emphasized that the people of Niger have the right to choose their leaders and called for Bazoum’s release to preserve the country’s hard-earned democracy.

He further expressed the United States’ support for the people of Niger and their decades-long partnership rooted in shared democratic values and civilian-led governance. Biden noted that Nigeriens have previously expressed their will through free and fair elections, and their decision must be respected.

President Bazoum, who won elections in 2021, ushering in Niger’s first peaceful transition of power, faces the challenge of leading a country that has experienced four previous coups since gaining independence from France in 1960.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has issued a demand for the coup leaders to restore Bazoum to power within a week, or face the possibility of military intervention as a last resort.