The Diplomat
The Government of Spain yesterday condemned the attempted coup d’état perpetrated during the night of March 30-31 in the capital of Niger, Niamey, and rejected the use of violence against State institutions.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on “the new democratically elected authorities to take office in a peaceful and serene atmosphere, within the framework established by law and with full respect for the institutions”.
“In this sense, and in these moments of great historical importance for Niger, Spain wishes to reiterate its support to the elected representatives of the people of Niger, to the President of the Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, and to the elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, as well as to convey its solidarity with the Government and with the people of Niger”, it concluded.
The thwarted coup d’état took place two days before the inauguration of Mohamed Bazoum, a man politically close to the outgoing president. His rival in the February 21 presidential elections, former President Mahamane Ousmane, has not accepted the election results and has called for “peaceful protests” throughout the country to claim his victory.
Five days after the elections, the Spanish government called for dialogue and legal and institutional ways to solve the disputes after the episodes of violence that took place in the country when the results of the second round of the presidential elections were announced.
