2024-01-08 22:09:01
Detained with his father overthrown in July by a military coup, Salem Bazoum, 22, was released on Monday and returned to Togo. Mohamed Bazoum and his wife Haziza remain sequestered in the presidential residence.
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Salem Bazoum, the son of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum overthrown on July 26, 2023 by a coup d’état, detained until now with his father, was released on Monday and is in Togo.
Niger: President Bazoum’s son, Salem Mohamed Bazoum, is released provisionally by the investigating judge of the military court. Since the events of July 26, he has been detained at the presidential residence with his parents by the putschists. pic.twitter.com/VSv5kMZOmw
– Ahmadou Atafa (@AhmadouAtafa) January 8, 2024
Salem Bazoum, 22, had been held prisoner with his parents since the putsch, accused of “conspiracy aimed at undermining the authority or security of the State”.
Togo has been engaged in mediation with the military regime in power for several weeks.
On Monday, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey was in Niamey where he spoke with the Prime Minister of the military regime, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, according to Nigerien public television.
He had already gone to Niamey in mid-December and claimed to have “agreed on the content and timing” of a transition with the new authorities in Niamey.
Mohamed Bazoum and his wife Haziza have remained sequestered in the presidential residence since the coup d’état which brought General Abdourahamane Tiani to power.
Several former officials of the overthrown government have been arrested, others are in exile. On Friday, former Energy Minister Ibrahim Yacoubou was arrested upon his return to Niamey.
The release of Mohamed Bazoum is one of the conditions for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to ease the heavy sanctions it has imposed since the putsch in Niger.
On December 15, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ordered his release and his return to power within a month.
But these decisions, intended to be binding on the States parties, are not always applied by them.
A three-year transition
And, besides Togo, other West African countries have softened their position towards the Nigerien authorities.
Benin, a coastal country, for example, has lifted the suspension of imports of goods transiting to Niger and President Patrice Talon has indicated that he wants to “quickly restore relations” with his Sahelian neighbor.
The military regime in power in Niamey, for its part, spoke of a three-year transition.
He started regional consultations on January 1, a prelude to a “national dialogue” to set the precise duration of this transition.
Niger faces a security challenge with deadly jihadist violence, particularly in its western part, near the border of Burkina and Mali, also affected by recurrent attacks.
The three countries, led by soldiers who took power through coups between 2020 and 2023, came together to form the Alliance of Sahel States.
They have chosen to diversify their international partnerships and notably maintain terrible relations with Paris. All three expelled French soldiers engaged in the fight against terrorism from their soil.
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