'I'm writing as a hostage' - Ousted Niger President begs US, others

President Mohamed Bazoum, the ousted constitutional leader of the Republic of Niger, has cried out to the United States and the international community to come to the country's aid and restore constitutional order.

According to the BBC, the Nigerien President, who was overthrown in a coup last week by a military junta, said he was "writing as a hostage" in an opinion article in the Washington Post.

The president also warned that the region could fall under the influence of Russia through the Wagner Group, which is already operating in the neighbouring countries.

There has been unrest in the West African country since the overthrow of Bazoum by the military junta.

The junta leader earlier announced Niger's ambassadors from France, the US, Nigeria, and Togo had been withdrawn, adding that the jobs of the country's representatives had been terminated.

This came before Kiari Liman-Tinguiri, Niger's ambassador to the US, reportedly said that the military junta should come to reason and know that their move would not succeed.

Niger is a significant uranium producer in the West African bloc. Uranium is a fuel that is vital to nuclear power. The country is also a key migration route to the Mediterranean and North Africa.

In his opinion article in the newspaper, the ousted president warned that if the military junta succeeded, the outcome would be "devastating consequences for our country, our region and the entire world".