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The whereabouts of Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum remain undisclosed following a July 26 coup.

While the junta responsible for the coup alleged that Bazoum and his family attempted an escape to Nigeria with assistance from security forces, this claim was vehemently denied by Bazoum’s legal representatives.

Lawyer Mohamed Seydou Diagne stated, “We energetically reject these made-up accusations against President Bazoum,” emphasizing that this act of “secret detention” by the junta was yet another violation.

Previously, Bazoum and his family had been confined in the presidential residence in Niamey, where they experienced power outages since August 2. Limited access was granted to a single doctor, who was subsequently denied visitation rights. The legal team has called upon the junta to provide evidence of the well-being of Bazoum and his family.

This coup in Niger is the latest in a series of takeovers in West Africa’s central Sahel region, primarily due to rising instability from an Islamist insurgency.