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Veteran politician, Vernon Mwaanga, has condemned the military coup in Niger which has seen the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Mwaanga in an interview with Zambia Monitor described the coup in Niger as a major set-back for democracy on the African Continent and a challenge to the spirit of democratisation in Africa.
He said there was urgent need for punitive measures to be taken by the international community against countries which were taking the undesirable and unacceptable route of changing power using unconstitutional means.
He added that unconstitutional change of power was an affront to emerging democracies and should be condemned in the strongest terms.
“The military coup in Niger, which ousted the democratically elected President, is a major set-back for democracy on the continent of Africa.
“The recent developments in Sudan, Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso and now in Niger, are a major setback for Africa’s democracy. There have been seven military coups on the Continent from 2020,” he said.
Mwaanga said deposed Mohamed Bazoum was elected President of Niger in 2021, in elections which international election observers had declared as free and fair.
He regretted that Bazoum was ousted by members of his own Presidential Guard.
“Experience teaches us that democracy – whatever you perceive it to be – is a collective undertaking that involves duties and obligations, rights and responsibilities that bring together the leaders and the led, the elected and the electors, representatives of civil society and political institutions in a constant process of dialogue, consultation and consensus building,” Mwaanga said.
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