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Nearly two years after his ousting, calls for the release of former Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum are intensifying. The Independent Movement for a New Niger in Justice and Equality (MINNJE) has announced a peaceful march set to take place in Niamey on 27 July 2025, marking the second anniversary of the coup that toppled the democratically elected leader.
Mohamed Bazoum, 66, has been held under house arrest since 26 July 2023, when his own presidential guard launched a surprise coup and confined him and his wife to a secured apartment inside the presidential palace. The former president has remained isolated ever since, with soldiers guarding every entrance, symbolising the deepening political crisis in Niger.
Bazoum is accused of conspiring with foreign powers—including France—against the military-led transitional authorities, a charge that could lead to prosecution for “high treason.” The presidential residence, now heavily militarised, has become a stark emblem of the nation’s ongoing political instability and fragile security landscape.
In response, MINNJE is mobilising citizens to march peacefully for justice and national reconciliation. The route will begin at Place Toumo and proceed through key avenues—including the expressway and the Church roundabout—culminating at Place de la Concertation.
Organisers expect hundreds, if not thousands, to attend the demonstration.
The movement’s core demands are threefold: restoring judicial independence, strengthening the country’s defence forces, and securing the immediate release of Mohamed Bazoum.
In a formal letter to Niamey’s special delegate, Abdourhamane Idé Hassane, MINNJE spokespersons emphasised that the demonstration will be “peaceful, civic, and republican in spirit.”
As Niger continues to grapple with the consequences of the 2023 coup, this latest civic initiative signals a growing desire among segments of the population to return to democratic order and constitutional governance.
