“Mohamed Bazoum is doing well,” claims the Nigerien Prime Minister after the coup d’État.
Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, Prime Minister of Niger whose government was overthrown on Wednesday, gives an exclusive interview to . He provides updates on elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held captive by his presidential guard for four days.
Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou also discusses the demonstrations in support of the coup leaders outside the French embassy in Niamey.
On the set, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the Prime Minister of Niger, states that elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held captive by his presidential guard for four days, “is doing well” and “is in good spirits” after the military coup.
“He is a great fighter and an experienced unionist. If he is approaching this situation with optimism, then we can believe him. He genuinely hopes that things will progress in the right direction.”
Following the announcement of financial sanctions imposed by ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) against Niger, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou expresses satisfaction. For him, it is a “logical reaction” from neighboring countries, “because it is an unwarranted coup based on no grounds.”
If ECOWAS leaders have also stated that they do not rule out the “use of force,” Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou remains confident. “I remain optimistic,” says the former Minister of Mines in the transition government of Prime Minister Amadou Cheiffou from 1991 to 1993 and Minister of Finance from 2011 to 2012.
“I am aware of Niger’s fragility,” he emphasizes. “I know the economic and financial context of Niger. It is a country that cannot withstand this kind of sanctions. It will be a catastrophe economically. It will be a catastrophe socially. Because Niger relies heavily on international partnerships.”
When asked about the pro-military coup demonstration targeting the French embassy in Niamey, the Prime Minister believes it is not “an event led by the entire Nigerian people.” He concludes by stating, “I know that the Nigerian people have no anti-French sentiment.”
