Supporters of a coup in Niger ransacked and set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party in the capital Niamey on Thursday after the army command declared its backing for the takeover carried out by soldiers of the presidential guard.
Plumes of black smoke billowed from the building, a Reuters reporter said, after hundreds of supporters of the coup who had gathered in front of the National Assembly moved towards there. Police dispersed them with volleys of teargas.
In a statement signed by its chief of staff, the army said it had "decided to adhere to the ... declaration" made by soldiers who announced in a late nightIt added that its priority was to avoid destabilising the country and it needed to "preserve the physical integrity" of the president and his family and avoid "a deadly confrontation ... that could create a bloodbath and affect the security of the population".
Since relations with their military governments soured, prompting foreign troop withdrawals, Niger's role had become increasingly important for Western powers helping fight a violent insurgency in the region. France moved troops to Niger from Mali last year. "We hope the army coming to power will resolve the security crisis. Today terrorism has uprooted so many villages ... our children have become widows and our grandchildren orphans," said Hadjia Aiss, an elderly woman who was among the crowd outside parliament.
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