2023 Nigerien coup d'état in the context of "National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland"

Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. It covers a land area of almost 1.27 million km (490,000 sq mi), making it the largest landlocked country in West Africa and the second-largest landlocked nation in Africa behind Chad. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara. Its predominantly Muslim population of about 25 million lives mostly in clusters in the south and west of the country. The capital, Niamey, is located in Niger's southwest corner along the namesake Niger River.

Following the spread of Islam to the region, Niger was on the fringes of some states, including the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the Mali Empire before more significant parts of its territory became included in states such as the Sultanate of Agadez and the Songhai Empire. It was colonized by France during the Scramble for Africa as part of French West Africa, becoming a distinct colony in 1922. Since obtaining independence in 1960, Niger has experienced five coups d'état and four periods of military rule. Niger's seventh and most recent constitution was enacted in 2010, establishing a multiparty, unitary semi-presidential system. Following the most recent coup in 2023, the country has been ruled by National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta.

The Coup Belt (French: ceinture de coups d'État; Portuguese: cinto de golpe) is a modern geopolitical concept and neologism which emerged during the 2020s to describe the region of West Africa, Central Africa and the Sahel that is home to countries with a high prevalence of coups d'état. Following the 2023 Nigerien coup, these countries form a continuous chain stretching between the east and west coasts of Africa.

The coups have largely been similar in nature; most came from dissatisfied militaries who criticised their respective government's handling of Islamic insurgents or protests since 2003. Resentment over French military, financial and political influence over African governments has also played a role. The incoming juntas tend to have worse relations with the West, with many seeking support from either Russia and the Wagner Group or Turkey instead of France, which previously helped the countries fight against Islamic insurgents through Operation Barkhane. This has led Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, to fund opposition groups, which in turn has caused a proxy war between Russia and Ukraine in Africa.

Mohamed Bazoum (Arabic: محمد بازوم, romanized: Muḥammad Bāzūm; born 1 January 1960) is a Nigerien politician who served as the 10th president of Niger from 2021 to 2023. He assumed office in April 2021 after winning the 2020–21 presidential election and surviving a coup d'état attempt. He was ousted in the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état by members of the presidential guard and the armed forces led by Abdourahamane Tchiani.

Before becoming president, he served as the president of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS-Tarayya). He also served in as a minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2011 to 2016. He was minister of State at the Presidency briefly in 2016 and was later appointed minister of State for the Interior between 2016 until his election as president in 2021, when he resigned to focus on running for the 2020–21 presidential election. Bazoum won the second round of the presidential election with 55.67% of the vote against former president Mahamane Ousmane.

Abdourahamane Tchiani (Arabic: عبد الرحمن تشياني, romanized: ‘Abd ar-Rahman Tshiyānī; born 1961) is a Nigerien military officer who has served as the 11th president of Niger since 2025 and the president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, the military junta of Niger, since 2023. Having previously served as the Chief of the Nigerien Presidential guard (2011–2023), he played a key role in the 2023 coup d'état by detaining President Mohamed Bazoum. His coup triggered the Nigerien crisis, which ended in 2024.

On 26 July 2023, a coup d'état occurred in Niger, during which the country's presidential guard removed and detained president Mohamed Bazoum. Subsequently, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Commander of the Presidential Guard, proclaimed himself the leader of the country and established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, after confirming the success of the coup.

In response to this development, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum on 30 July, giving the coup leaders in Niger one week to reinstate Bazoum, with the threat of international sanctions and potential use of force. When the deadline of the ultimatum expired on 6 August, no military intervention was initiated; however, on 10 August, ECOWAS took the step of activating its standby force. Previously in 2017, ECOWAS had launched a military intervention to restore democracy in The Gambia during a constitutional crisis within the country.

Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou's government governed Niger from 9 April 2021 until its overthrow by the military following the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état on 26 July and its replacement by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.