ニジェールで「クーデター未遂」、兵士ら逮捕　新大統領就任２日前

【ニアメーＡＦＰ＝時事】西アフリカのニジェール首都ニアメーで31日早朝、銃撃が発生した。治安筋によると、事件は「クーデター未遂」とされ、関与した兵士らが逮捕された。ただ「事態は収拾した」という。同国は2日後に、新大統領の就任式を控えている。（写真はモハメド・バズム次期大統領）
　住民は、大統領府周辺で夜通し銃声が鳴り響いたと話している。
　来月２日には、モハメド・バズム次期大統領が就任予定。１９６０年のフランスからの独立以来、選挙による初の政権交代となる。
　バズム氏は内相経験者で、２期１０年の在任を経て退任するマハマドゥ・イスフ現大統領の右腕となってきた。
　ニジェールは、国連の人間開発指数（ＨＤＩ）で１８９か国中最下位という、世界の最貧国。過去に４度クーデターが起きており、直近の２０１０年２月のクーデターで、当時のママドゥ・タンジャ政権が転覆している。
　また最近では、隣接するマリとナイジェリアから入り込んだイスラム過激派による攻撃が繰り返し発生している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/04/01-11:58）

Soldiers were arrested in Niger after an attempted coup early Wednesday, a security source said after gunfire broke out in the capital Niamey, adding the situation is under control.
Residents reported hearing overnight bursts of gunfire near the presidency, just two days before Mohamed Bazoum is due to take the helm of the coup-prone country.
There were some arrests among a few members of the army who are behind this attempted coup, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Presidential Guard retaliated, preventing this group of soldiers from approaching the presidential palace, said the source.
A resident of Niamey's Plateau district, which includes the president's official residence and offices, told AFP: It was around 3.00 am, we heard shots from heavy and light weapons and it lasted 15 minutes before stopping, followed by shots from light weapons.
The gunfire lasted about 20 minutes, another resident said.
A third resident spoke of intense shooting, with heavy and light weapons.
Online newspaper actuniger.com reported that calm had returned by around 4.00 am.
In short video clips posted on social networks, only several seconds in length, sporadic bursts of gunfire could be heard in the pitch dark.
It was not yet possible to independently verify the location and timing of the videos.
The alleged coup comes ahead of Bazoum's scheduled inauguration on Friday -- the first elected transition in Niger's history since independence from France in 1960.
Bazoum is a former interior minister and right-hand man of outgoing president Mahamadou Issoufou, who is voluntarily stepping down after two five-year terms.
His victory in the second round of the election on February 2 was confirmed by the constitutional court this month.
The results were contested by Bazoum's rival, former president Mahamane Ousmane, who claimed he was the real winner.
Ousmane had called for peaceful marches across the country, but a planned opposition protest Wednesday in Niamey was banned a day earlier by authorities.
Niger is the poorest country in the world, according to the benchmark of the UN's 189-nation Human Development Index.
It has suffered four coups in its history, most recently a February 2010 putsch which toppled then president Mamadou Tandja.
The Sahel country has also recently been struck by repeated jihadist attacks as Islamist movements have spilled over from neighbouring Mali and Nigeria.