The European Union (EU) Parliament recently passed a resolution pushing for the release of Niger's former President, Mohamed Bazoum, by April 2, the day his constitutional mandate was meant to conclude. The EU resolution said that it "strongly condemns the continued arbitrary detention of democratically elected President Bazoum and his wife." The EU further demanded their "immediate and unconditional release," and also called on the international community to "intensify diplomatic efforts to secure the release of President Bazoum."

The bloc also urged the Nigerien authorities to restore democratic order, reinstate political parties, and organize free and fair elections.

The government in Niamey reacted indignantly. It summoned the EU ambassador, accusing the European Union of interfering with Niger's internal affairs. Several civil society organizations support the government's stance. Early this week, hundreds of people gathered for a demonstration in support of the regime. 

"Niger's political affairs must be regulated by the Nigeriens themselves," one woman, who attended the protest, told DW. "It's our decision what to do and when to do it." Another demonstrator was even more critical. "We know what ambitions our former colonial masters have. They are not interested in democracy, but in how they can regain a foothold in Niger and gain control of our natural resources.

Bazoum's short presidency

Mohamed Bazoum made history when he took his oath of office on April 2, 2021, in a peaceful and democratic change of power — the first since Niger's independence. The orderly succession even earned his predecessor, Mahamadou Issoufou, the renowned Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, which has not been awarded since for lack of suitable candidates.

And yet, the road was rocky from the outset, with Islamist terror looming large, posing a constant threat to the country's stability. The run-off election in February was followed by days of protests; the second-placed candidate refused to concede defeat, and just days before the swearing-in, authorities thwarted an attempted coup.

But in July 2023, the page turned on Bazoum when another coup cut short his presidency. The military junta led by Abdourahamane Tchiani  has since kept Bazoum and his wife prisoners in the presidential palace. And it initiated a new course: away from close cooperation with France and Europe, which it viewed as neo-colonialism, towards self-determination and partnership with Russia and other allies, in close association with the newly-founded Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

France accused of exploiting Niger's resources

Many Nigeriens accuse France of seeing the country mainly as a supplyer of oil and uranium. For decades, uranium mining in Niger was carried out by the French company Orano (formerly Areva), but thejunta withdrew the company's license.

"We know very well that it is not the initiative of the European Union, but the intrigue of France that has led the European Union, through its parliament, to take this hasty decision," one protestor who attended Monday's demonstration said.

The EU resolution was initiated by a French MEP. Retired military officer Christophe Gomart served as the French Army's High Command for Special Operations from 2011 to 2013. Under his leadership, France intervened in Libya in 2011 and launched Operation Serval in Mali, which stopped the advance of Islamist groups on the capital Bamako in 2014.

Gomart is now a member of the conservative EPP bloc in the European Parliament and is also deputy chairman of the Committee on Security and Defense.

Gomart defended his initiative, saying there was no treason case to be brought against Mohamed Bazoum. "He was elected by his people and tried to pursue a policy that brought prosperity to his country," Gomart told DW, adding that since President Bazoum's imprisonment, it had become clear that the security situation in Niger is deteriorating and the arms trade, human trafficking and terrorismare steadily increasing.

Gomart denied any claims of interference, stressing that the resolution was only about the release of Bazoum, the return to constitutional order, and the holding of democratic elections. "There is no demand for sanctions, there is no demand for a verdict against the coup plotters."

Human rights activists worried

But criticism is not only coming from Europe. Human rights activists in the region are also concerned. "President Bazoum is a democratic, humanist president who, after all, had remarkable governance and made great strides towards peace and security in Niger," Alioune Tine, lawyer and founder of the AfrikaJom Center think tank in Senegal's capital, Dakar, told DW.

Nigerien journalist and activist Mamane Kaka Touda likewise considers it inappropriate for Bazoum to remain imprisoned indefinitely.

"If his immunity has been lifted, it usually means that he is being accused of things and if there are really things that he is being accused of, then let the judiciary do its job and let him not be kept in a wing of the presidential palace," he stated.

Kaka Touda recalled that the coup leaders had given themselves three years to return to constitutional order after coming to power. "I very much hope that they keep their promise."

This article was adapted from German

Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu