Niger security officers have held President Mohamed Bazoum inside the presidential palace in Niamey, the nation’s capital.
Reuters likewise said the presidential security officers have been closed off the palace by military vehicles since Wednesday morning.
The improvement has been compared to the four military coups that have tormented neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso starting around 2020.
Ministries next to the palace have also been blocked off, and staff inside the palace have not been able to access their offices, presidency and security sources said.
The rest of Niamey appeared calm, with normal morning traffic on the road and full internet access, Reuters said. Previous coups in Burkina Faso and Mali were spurred in part by frustrations over authorities’ failure to stem an Islamist insurgency blighting the Sahel region, which includes Niger.
There was likewise a defeated upset endeavor in Niger in Walk 2021 when a tactical unit attempted to hold onto the presidential palace days before Bazoum was due to be sworn in.