Niger’s government has foiled an attempted coup and arrested people who planned to use aerial firepower to seize control, the president Mahamadou Issoufou has said.
Issoufou was elected in 2011, one year after a coup. Political tension is high in advance of a presidential election set for 21 February. Issoufou is favourite to win, but the opposition accuses his government of repression ahead of the vote.
In an address to national television on Thursday, Issoufou called the attempted coup high treason, and said the situation was under control and all the main actors had been arrested – except one person who had fled.
“The government has just foiled an evil attempt at destabilisation,” he said. “The objective of these individuals, motivated by I don’t know what, was to overthrow the democratically elected power.”
“They envisaged using aerial firepower and they have for some weeks deliberately blocked [those military assets] in Niamey that I was pressing them to send to Diffa to the front for the struggle against Boko Haram.”
The west African country is a major uranium producer and western ally in a regional fight against Islamist militants including Nigeria’s Boko Haram.
Niger has declared a state of emergency in its south-eastern Diffa region due to numerous cross-border attacks this year from Nigeria.
At least four senior military officers were arrested on Tuesday, military sources and family members of those detained said.
Among those taken into custody were the former military chief of staff, Gen Souleymane Salou, and Lt Col Dan Haoua, head of the air force base in the capital Niamey.
“It’s said they are suspected of wanting to carry out subversive activities, but nothing is clear for the moment,” said a relative of Salou.
Born in 1953, Salou has done military training in Morocco, the US, France, Britain and Germany.
Issoufou’s election marked the restoration of democratic rule after a coup toppled his predecessor, Mamadou Tandja. The ruling Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism says it expects Issoufou to win in the first round.
Niger’s main opposition party has chosen former prime minister Seyni Oumarou, who came second in the last election, as its candidate.
A third candidate, opposition leader Hama Amadou, flew back to the country on 14 November and was arrested on charges of suspected involvement in a baby-trafficking scheme.
Issoufou said in the address that he remained committed to holding the elections and the electoral commission had prepared the most accurate voter register in the country’s history.