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About two weeks ago, Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohammed Bazoum, was detained and removed in a military coup led by members of his presidential guard. This marks the seventh coup in West and Central Africa since 2020. Since then, Niger’s neighbours, which are also being governed under a coup d'état, including Burkina Faso and Mali, have pledged support for Niger. Moreover, in West Africa, there has been a growing wave of anti-French sentiments with some locals accusing the former colonial ruler of interfering in their affairs. Niger further cemented this when it revoked a raft of military cooperation agreements with France last Thursday. This despite 1000 to 1 500 French troops in Niger to help fight an insurgency by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State. Meanwhile, ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, has given coup leaders until Sunday to reinstate Bozoum, warning that it could resort to military intervention as a last resort. Senior Research Fellow at the Africa-Asia Dialogue Thembisa Fakude joins Lerato Mbele for the conversation.