Niger coup puts country at greater risk of attacks by extremists, says Open Doors.
(Photo: Getty/iStock)The coup in Niger has left the country more vulnerable to attacks from Islamist extremists, Open Doors has warned.
Niger's democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, was removed by soldiers on Wednesday.
Illia Djadi, an expert with Open Doors who is originally from Niger, said he was saddened by the "unexpected development".
He said that prior to the coup, Niger had been "a safe haven, an island of peace in a very unstable region". Now it has entered "a new era of uncertainty as radical groups will make the most of the insecurity".
Djadi worries about a "domino effect" in the West and Central Africa region, which has seen multiple power grabs in the last few years.
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