"President Held by Guards as Niger Faces Attempted Coup, Regional Leaders Confirm"

An attempted coup is underway in Niger, as members of the presidential guard have reportedly seized President Mohamed Bazoum and the country's interior minister. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the attempt to seize power and called for the immediate release of the democratically-elected president. Protests in support of Bazoum have erupted in the capital, Niamey, with the presidential palace sealed off by the Presidential Guard. International leaders, including the United Nations and the United States, have condemned the coup attempt and called for peace and the preservation of democratic governance in Niger.