Niger coup anniversary: Death penalty fears for ex-President Mohamed Bazoum – lawyer

Gen Tchiani’s speech broadcast on Thursday evening was as much aimed at France, the former colonial power, as his own citizens.

“Those who fantasise about the imminent return to power of regimes that have fallen under their sway are in for a rude awakening. Before it’s too late, they’ll have to face facts: our march towards full sovereignty is inexorable,” he told viewers.

“No state, no inter-state organisation, will dictate to us how to behave, nor its agenda in terms of strategic or diplomatic partnerships,” Gen Tchiani pointedly said.

Niger’s new military rulers have pivoted towards Russia after severing defence and diplomatic ties with France.

They took power with promises to improve security – and earlier this month a new security alliance was announced between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali as they dropped out of the wider West African bloc, Ecowas.

Yet the Islamist militant attacks and security challenges continue, to the frustration of citizens.

News outlets are expected only to report on the military’s successes, and radio stations end up having to rely on speaking to local activists for factual information about what is really happening on the ground, explains analyst Beverly Ochieng on the BBC’s Global Jigsaw podcast.

Since Niger’s military took power a year ago, rights groups say, external it has cracked down on the independent media as well as peaceful dissent.

The wider Sahel region – much of which is governed by military juntas – is fast becoming a “no-news zone”, according to Reporters Without Borders, external.

Meanwhile the US has announced it expects to withdraw the last of it 1,000 troops from Niger in August – a month earlier than planned.

It had used the West African nation as its primary base for monitoring regional jihadist activity, but that deal came to an end a few months ago after tense talks with the new administration.