The United Nations secretary-general spoke Wednesday with Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and offered his “full support” to the leader who has apparently been detained in a coup attempt, a UN spokesman said.
“This afternoon @antonioguterres spoke to @mohamedbazoum. He expressed his full support and solidarity to the Nigerien President,” the spokesman said in a statement on Twitter, the social media site rebranded as X.
The UN chief’s phone call is the latest development following reports that Bazoum was being held by disgruntled members of the elite Presidential Guard, who in turn were given an “ultimatum” by the army.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Tinubu serves as Chairman, has since condemned what it called an “attempted coup” and called on the “plotters” to release Bazoum immediately and without condition.
President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic visited President Bola Tinubu for a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Talon, who arrived at the Villa around 4:43 pm, was visiting Abuja a second time in nine days, having visited on July 18 along with two other colleague-presidents, Mohamed Bazoum of Niger and Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea-Bissau.
It was however unclear as of press time if the Benin president’s visit was in connection with the incident involving his Nigerien counterpart.
