Leaders from Across African continent have jointly condemned the military coup in Niger and called for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum who is seized by the his presidential guard.

The President of the Kenya, William Samoi Ruto said the resurgence of military coups and attempts to undermine the will of the people is a setback to Africa’s democratic gains.

“ON Wednesday, Africa suffered a serious setback on its democratic gains, as the aspirations of the people of Niger for constitutional democracy were subverted by an unconstitutional change of government that deposed Mohammad Bazoum. A democratically elected President,” said President William Ruto.

“The Republic of Kenya joins the rest of the world to condemn in the strongest terms this unconstitutional act that subverts democratic through a coup d’état and calls for the immediate release of President Mohammad Bazoum who is reportedly seized by members of the presidential guard,” he added.

The President further called for the restoration of the constitutionally elected government, and urged the parties involved to refrain from any acts that may escalate the situation, and return to peaceful dialogue.

“We call for the swift restoration of constitutional rule, ensuring the protection of the population and a return to full civilian authority while upholding utmost respect for the country’s institutions. In this moment of strife, we implore all parties to engage in constructive discourse to restore peace in this fraternal nation, which has steadfastly stood as a bull-work against terrorism and its agents in the Sahel region,” he stated.

Further, President Ruto appealed for a united and global response to hold those responsible resurgence of the military coup in Africa accountable, reiterating Kenya’s commitment to assist in resolving the conflicts across the continent.

The Republic of Djibouti has condemned in the strongest terms the coup d’etat in Republic of Niger.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Djibouti called for the immediate release of President Mohammad Bazoum, terming the coup as unconstitutional.

“The Republic of Djibouti calls this coup as unconstitutional, which violates the democratic principles acquired by the Republic of Niger and its people. We call on the immediate and unconditional release of the democratically elected President H.E. Mohammad Bazoum,” the statement reads.

With its capacity as the Chair of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Djibouti stated that it will support any efforts by ECOWAS, African Union and the International Community, deployed to support the legitimate Government in order to preserve the democratic rights of the people of Niger.

This is one of the latest coups in Africa in the past few years, following successful coups in Chad, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Sudan.

However, these countries have been grappling with tensions, conflicts, and civil wars after the coups. The political, economic, and social stability has been greatly affected, resulting to challenges in their progress and development.