analysis. In addition to the tense atmosphere of presiding over the inauguration ceremony, Mohamed Bazoum (Mohamed Bazoum) will face enormous challenges, especially in terms of security and economics.
PMohamed Bazoum (Mohamed Bazoum) finally won the presidential election on February 21 with more than 55% of the votes, while Mohamed Bazoum (Mohamed Bazoum) in a peaceful atmosphere on April 2 The head of state and representatives of international institutions were sworn in at the Niamey International Conference Center on Friday. A historic event in Niger. This is the first handover between two democratically elected presidents, Mahamadou Issoufou and his dolphin, Mohamed Bazoum. The history of this country is a coup. As a sign-but also decisive since then, the latter has inherited countless challenges to the country. How will Mohamed Bazoum manage, with whom, and especially by what means? These are the questions that many Nigerians are asking themselves, and they are not satisfied with this unprecedented peaceful transfer of power. Especially since the last few days, tensions have risen to a notch in the country.
Niger: Pressure after the coup
Mohamed Bazum, 61, opposed former President Mahman Osman in the second round of presidential elections on February 21, who did not admit his failure to end the election and called for “peaceful demonstrations.” Although there are still controversies, Mohamed Bazoum (Mohamed Bazoum) has become a victim of an attempted coup. On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, armed soldiers invaded the area of the residence and office of the Presidential Palace in Niamey, but after the exchange of fire, especially with heavy weapons, the Presidential Guard repelled it. The government said that some “people involved in this coup attempt” have been “arrested and are actively seeking others.” Niger is one of the poorest Sahel regions in the world, and its history is characterized by political transformation. Since the former French colony became independent in 1960, there have been four countries: the first faced President Diori Hamani in April 1974, and the second overthrew President Mahamadou Tandja in February 2010. Not to mention many coup attempts.
This situation fully illustrates the political and security difficulties of the new head of state. Mohamed Bazoum will immediately face the tremendous challenge of the regular jihadist attacks in his country by Al-Qaida and Islamic State in the western region bordering Mali and Burkina Faso. , Nigerian group Boko Haram (Boko Haram) has carried out a severe challenge to border with Nigeria. Since the beginning of this year, attacks on civilians have increased: more than 300 people have been killed in three series of attacks on villages and camps on the border with Mali in the west of the country.
The last large-scale attack occurred on March 21 in the Tahoua area, killing 141 people in three villages and surrounding camps in Tuareg. The vast and deserted area of Tahova lies to the east of Tila Béri, all close to the border with Mali. The Tillaberi zone is located in Niger, the so-called “three borders” area between Mali and Burkina Faso, and is often attacked by jihadist groups.
This Friday, in his inauguration speech, he once again emphasized how Niger “faces the existence of terrorist organizations whose barbarism has just exceeded all limits” and “occasionally mass murders of innocent civilians.” He said that he committed real war crimes. In a recent interview with the French Intelligence Agency (RFI) and France 24, Mohamed Bazoum has warned and ruled out any dialogue with jihadists, believing that the situation in his country is different from Mali. He said: “We cannot imagine any dialogue, because there is no leader of a jihadist organization in Niger in our territory, nor a jihadist base.” There seems to be a fact that confirms his views on this issue, for example, a The fact is that the leaders of these terrorist groups “belong to other countries, and no terrorist leader has ever lodged a complaint against our country, let alone the slightest request. Bazum firmly stated that he intends to “continue” him. The work of his mentor. Staying behind the scenes for a long time, dealing with the organization of the Democratic and Socialist Party of Niger (PNDS, he is one of the founding members of Issoufou), the Arab minority Mohamed Bazoum, was born in Diffa The region (Southeast) has long-term experience in mysterious decisions on these hot issues. During Issoufou’s re-election in 2016, he served as Minister of the Interior and Minister of State in the Presidential Office. During his tenure as a mentor, he was I said that he is the real second person in the state before Prime Minister Brigi Rafini. He is responsible for handling all sensitive matters, and has been consulted by him on all issues from diplomacy to economics (especially security issues).
Can he benefit from this long experience now? In any case, his observer of Niamey’s Nigerni politics said to him: “The bad air, the air of the person we know he can be firm, will allow him to easily come into contact with his philosophical anchor on the left. There must be a nuance.” He told Nigerian political observers in Niamey. Agence France-Presse. After studying in Gouré in Zulu (southeast) and then getting a bachelor’s degree in Zinder, Bazoum went to Senegal to study philosophy. He taught in a provincial high school for six years and gained a certain amount of orator skills. Internet person, with good relations with foreign countries, he left his post in mid-2020 to devote himself to the presidential election. The goal of this plan is to push the people in the shadows to the front row of PNDS’s deployment of election-imposing machines.
Niger’s partner is a major donor to a country that relies heavily on international aid, and France and the United States rely heavily on international aid in this country. France would rather see the assurance of a reliable leader in Bazoum, even if it means abandoning certain themes. Especially in cases of corruption that undermined the presidency of Issofu. However, for Bazoum, this has certain advantages. “The name of the researcher is often not mentioned in the major corruption scandals sweeping the government” and “we recognize the rigor and outspokenness of public affairs management. “, researcher Ibrahim Yahya Ibrahim in the International Crisis Team.
Today, after taking the oath, he believes that the leaders of the Islamic State Group of Greater Sahara (EIGS) are “Maghreb nationals” and their bases are “in the Malian territory of Manaka and Gao regions”. “As long as the Malian country does not These areas exercise all sovereignty, and the struggle against him will be very difficult.” He said: “The current situation in Mali directly affects our internal security. This is why our diplomatic agenda will be centered on Mali.”
Presidential elections in Niger: favorite Bazum’s priorities
“Insecurity must be the top priority of the president-elect,” emphasized many Nigeriens during the campaign, but it is not the only one. Niger has 7.6 children per woman, the highest fertility rate in the world. It is estimated that the population will increase from 23 million today to 70 million in 2050. However, due to the coronavirus crisis, World Bank data shows that economic growth is expected to drop from 5.8% in 2020 to 1% in 2020. . For the same reason, 41.4% of Nigerians lived in extreme poverty in 2019. If it develops bit by bit, since a landlocked country became independent in 1960, the situation has been roughly the same, despite the huge amount of uranium-related finances “unfortunately, uranium has not returned to people’s hands at all”, according to some According to the NGO.
“How to attract skills in government departments when salaries are much lower than foreign NGOs or large companies? Agence France-Presse quoted the Niamey Political Life Observer in Niger as saying that everyone goes there. In fact, people generally think of national status. Weak and unable to meet basic social needs, especially in rural areas. The High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace (HACP) tries to bring social services back to areas affected by violence. At the same time, corruption is considered endemic in Niger. The Issoufou regime has occurred in the past. After several scandals, including overcharges to the Ministry of Defense, billions of francs in illegal losses. The investigation has begun.
That is to say, in view of the unification of issues, how much has Mohamed Bazoum’s five-year term opened up in the context of several levels of disruption. In the next few days, it is up to him to point out the direction in which he hopes to guide his tasks.