Niger Coup: More Government Officials Detained

The military junta currently in charge of Niger has detained a leading official in the ousted president’s party as well as two more government ministers, the party has said.

Five ministers are now being held among a total of 130 party activists detained since Sunday.

President Mohamed Bazoum himself has been held since last week, when the officers seized power.

His PNDS party says that Niger could become a “dictatorial and totalitarian regime”, the AFP news agency reports quoting a party statement.

The PNDS said that Oil Minister Mahamane Sani Mahamadou and Mining Minister Ousseini Hadizatou are being held, along with the head of the party’s national executive committee, Fourmakoye Gado.

The coup leaders are continuing to say they are about to be attacked – alleging without evidence that France has been considering an assault on the presidential palace to free Mr Bazoum.