After the announcement of the military coup, Wednesday evening, supporters of the coup leaders attacked the headquarters of President Mohamed Bazoum’s political party on July 27, 2023, in Niamey.
A first demonstration in support of the coup gathered several hundred people on Thursday morning in Niamey, as witnessed by AFP journalists who saw several Russian flags being raised. Some youths went to the headquarters of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS, in power), a few kilometers from the gathering, where they set cars on fire. The protesters entered the building and took away refrigerators and air conditioners.
According to a correspondent from Deutsche Welle, demonstrations also took place at the family home of Dr. Lalla Malika, the second wife of former President Issoufou Mahamadou. They now want to vandalize her house. Additional police reinforcements have been deployed. The same source mentioned that Soumana Sanda, an opposition member, was assaulted by pro-coup demonstrators while trying to calm them down and asking them to protest without violence.
