Niger’s newly elected president Mohamed Bazoum has been sworn in and marks the first democratic transfer of power in the West African state.
Bazoum’s inauguration on Friday comes days after Nigerian security forces countered an attempted military coup at the presidential palace overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Niger is already facing unprecedented threats from terrorists near its troubled border with Mali. Bazoum succeeds President Mahamadou Issoufou, who resigns after serving two terms in accordance with Niger’s constitution.
Issoufou’s decision to respect the constitution has been widely praised, paving the way for Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960. The West African nation has seen four coups.
However, fears have increased that the inauguration could lead to more violence in Niger. The latest massacre that killed at least 137 people came on the same day that a constitutional court certified Bazoum’s election victory.
And at least 100 others were killed in villages near the border on the day Niger announced its second round of presidential elections on 21 February. Security was tight on Friday in the capital Niamey.
Bazoum is Issoufou’s chosen successor and a longtime prime minister who comes from Niger’s small ethnic Arab minority. He was previously Minister of the Interior in Niger and is also a teacher through education.
His main rival, Mahamane Ousmane, has rejected the election result, which claims fraud. Supporters of Ousmane have held mass demonstrations.
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