Soldiers Take Control of Niger, Borders Shut, Curfew Imposed

Niger's recently deposed president, Mahamadou Issoufou, has endorsed his former interior minister, Mohamed Bazoum, to replace him at the upcoming presidential elections. On January 15th, Bazoum won a decisive victory in the first round of the election process and will now face off against his main rival, former president Mahamane Ousmane, in a run-off vote. Issoufou's endorsement of Bazoum is likely to sway undecided voters, and many are expecting Bazoum to win the election. Although the election process has been largely peaceful, the military's overthrow of Issoufou has left many feeling uneasy. The military has promised to respect the outcome of the election, but it remains to be seen if they will follow through.