The coup leaders who seized power last week in Niger have alleged that the toppled government had authorised France to carry out an attack on the presidential palace to try to free President Mohamed Bazoum.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, one of the coup plotters, made the claims on Monday on state television. He said the authorisation was signed by Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou, acting as prime minister. The whereabouts of Massoudou and Bazoum remain unknown.
