(Niamey) Nine officials of the Nigerien civilian regime overthrown in July 2023 are “temporarily stripped” of their nationality, suspected in particular of “intelligence with a foreign power” and “conspiracy against the authority of the State”, announced Thursday the military government.
General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the junta, “signed today, Thursday, October 10, a decree stripping the nationality of certain people for various offenses provided for and punishable by law,” the government said in a press release.
Among the nine men “temporarily stripped of Nigerien nationality” are generals Mahamadou Abou Tarka, of the High Authority for the Consolidation of Peace, and Karingama Wali Ibrahim, former head of the presidential guard.
Daouda Djibo Takoubakoye, deputy chief of staff of ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, as well as his security adviser, Rhissa Ag Boula, are also concerned, alongside advisers to the presidency.
The nine people are “suspected in particular” of “carrying out activities likely to disrupt public peace and security” and “intelligence with a foreign power with a view to inciting it to undertake hostilities against the State” or in “ facilitating the penetration of foreign forces into Nigerien territory,” explains the government.
They are also “suspected” of “participation in an enterprise to demoralize the army” and “dissemination of data or remarks likely to disturb public order”, he adds.
The government says it is acting in accordance with an order signed at the end of August which allowed the creation of a file of people or entities “involved in acts of terrorism or in any other offenses affecting the strategic and/or fundamental interests of the nation” .
A text denounced by Human Rights Watch (HRW) as an “obstruction” of fundamental rights.
In September 2023, the military regime launched wanted notices against around twenty figures from the overthrown government, including Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, the head of diplomacy Hassoumi Massoudou and certain names targeted today by the provisional forfeiture measure of Nationality.
According to the gendarmerie’s wanted notice, these people are “considered to be on the run” and wanted for their alleged “involvement in a case of treason and conspiracy aimed at undermining the security and authority of the State”, following the coup d’état of July 26, 2023.
Some of these personalities were outside Niger during the coup, others managed to leave the country afterwards.
Since he was overthrown, Mohamed Bazoum is still sequestered with his wife Hadiza in his presidential residence.