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On Wednesday news broke of heavy gunfire near the presidency in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The government later said its forces had thwarted an attempted coup.

It came just two days before the historic inauguration of Mohamed Bazoum after he won the recent Presidential elections - it will be the first democratic transfer of power since the country gained independence in 1960.

Andrew Lebovich, an expert on the region at the European Council on Foreign Relations told Newsday there were still many unanswered questions about Wednesday's events.

(Photo: Niger's newly elected president Mohamed Bazoum delivers a speech at his party headquarter after the announcement of his election in Niamey, on February 23, 2021. Credit: Issouf Sanogo for AFP)