Niger has taken resolute steps to improve its democracy since the post-coup constitutional and transitional processes that led to Mahamadou Issoufou taking power in 2011. Niger has now inaugurated its newest president, Mohamed Bazoum. This is the first-ever democratic transition of power since independence in 1960. Although there was a failed coup which aimed to stop the transition from Issoufou to Bazoum, both from the same political party, the transition has been welcomed in many quarters as signs of continued improvement in the political atmosphere and democracy in Niger since 2010. France 24 had an article on this development. Here is an excerpt:

Bazoum‘s inauguration marked Niger’s first-ever transition between elected presidents since the country gained independence from France in 1960. But the milestone achievement was overshadowed by an alleged coup attempt early Wednesday, which was thwarted by several arrests, according to security sources.

Niger already faces unprecedented threats from Islamic extremists near its troubled border with Mali.

In his inauguration speech, Bazoum hit out at “terrorist groups whose barbarity has exceeded every limit”. The jihadist groups, he said, “carry out large-scale massacres of innocent civilians, and in doing so, commit real war crimes”.

Read the full article through this link.