Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, overthrown in a coup on July 26, entered his 80th day in detention with his wife and son on Friday. He still refuses to resign and hopes to win his case in court.
While many countries and organizations continue to call for his release, the ruling military regime remains adamant for the time being.
Since the coup on July 26, Bazoum has been held prisoner in his residence in the presidential palace, along with his wife Haziza and son Salem.
“His situation has not changed,” says his Senegalese lawyer Mohamed Seydou Diagne.
According to members of his entourage interviewed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), he is still “sequestered without electricity,” and with intermittent access to water.
“He receives fresh food supplies every other day and regular visits from his doctor,” said one of these sources, who added that he is doing well, as are his wife and son.
“He’s as strong as ever. He’s not going to resign,” insisted another source close to him.
In early August, Bazoum described himself as a “hostage” in an article for the ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±Íø Post, and described his family’s treatment as “inhuman and cruel” to the NGO Human Rights Watch.
On Sept. 18, Bazoum decided to refer his case to the West African courts to demand his release and the restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
“When you file a petition, the opposing party has one month to respond. At the end of this period, the Ecowas Court of Justice sets a date for the hearing,” explained Me Diagne to AFP.
“There is a main petition accompanied by an accelerated petition so that the Court can schedule a hearing within a few weeks,” he continued.
A group of lawyers mandated by one of Bazoum’s daughters had announced in early October their intention to lodge a complaint against the military regime in Niamey, but this has still not been filed, according to one of the lawyers.
The coup d’état was swiftly condemned by Niger’s Western partners, such as France and the United States, and by the UN, which expressed its support for Mohamed Bazoum and demanded his release.
Bazoum is the fifth Nigerien president to be overthrown by a putsch since the country gained independence from France in 1960.
The first president, Hamani Diori, overthrown in 1974, was imprisoned and then placed under house arrest for several years before being released in 1987 and leaving the country for Morocco.