Niamey, the capital of Niger was quiet Thursday morning, as citizens woke to closed borders and a nationwide curfew imposed by the military.
Soldiers ousted the government in the fifth West African coup since 2020.
The constitution has been suspended, national institutions shut down, and the national borders closed.
President Mohamed Bazoum was seized by troops early Wednesday, and the foreign minister, Hassoumi Massoudou, has declared himself the head of state and called on all democrats to make the military takeover “fail”.
In a TV announcement on Wednesday, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, alongside nine other uniformed soldiers, announced the end of the democratic regime, citing the deteriorating security situation and bad economic and social governance as his reasons.
The coup has, however, been criticized by the international community.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Thursday that he was“shocked and distressed” by the military takeover.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also condemned the coup.
