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By Editorial,
Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani has declared himself the new leader of Niger after a dramatic coup.
He staged a takeover which started on Wednesday when the presidential guards unit he led seized the country’s leader.
This shatters Niger’s first peaceful and democratic transition since independence in 1960.
President Mohamed Bazoum is thought to be in good health, and still held captive by his own guards.
He had been considered a key ally by Western nations in the fight against Islamist militants in the region.
The coup has been roundly condemned by international bodies including the African Union, West African regional bloc (Ecowas), the European Union and the United Nations.END.