The constitutional five-year term for Niger's elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, ended on April 2, 2026. Bazoum, however, remains in detention, having been ousted in a military coup on July 26, 2023.
Since the coup, the country has been led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani and the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP). The junta has repeatedly refused to release Bazoum or reinstate him, despite international pressure and sanctions from regional bodies like ECOWAS.
Bazoum's detention conditions have been a point of international concern. In 2023, his lawyers and family reported he was being held incommunicado. Recent reports indicate he remains under house arrest in the presidential compound in Niamey.
The end of his constitutional term marks a symbolic milestone in Niger's ongoing political crisis, underscoring the junta's consolidation of power and the continued marginalization of the country's last democratically elected leader.
