At Least 30,000 Niger Coup Supporters gather In Capital

In Niger, thousands of Citizens supporting the military coup gathered in Niamey at a stadium Sunday, on the expiration of a deadline set by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS to return the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum to power.

At a 30,000-seat stadium in Niamey, many of the Supporters carried Russian flags and portraits of the new leaders, cheering the arrival of a delegation of members of the now-ruling National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP).

Addressing the crowds, General Mohamed Toumba, one of the CNSP leaders, denounced those he described as lurking in the shadows who were plotting subversion against the forward march of Niger.

Local reports said the stadium, named after Seyni Kountche, who led Niger’s first coup d’etat in 1974, was almost full and the atmosphere was festive, journalists saw.

The demonstration coincides with the ultimatum set by ECOWAS on July 30 for the coup leaders to reinstate Bazoum but for the generals who seized power in Niamey on July 26 have shown no sign of willingness to give way.

ECOWAS military chiefs had agreed to a plan Friday for a possible military intervention to respond to the crisis, with the armies of countries including Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they were ready to participate.

Nigeria’s Senate on the other hand, on Saturday pushed back against the plan by the regional bloc ECOWAS, urging Nigeria’s president, the bloc’s current chair, to explore options other than the use of force.

The coup has been widely condemned by Western and African nations, though Niger’s military received support from their counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso — both countries which saw military coups take power in the past three years.