Niger Court Orders Release of General Held Captive since 2015

General Souleymane Salou, a former army chief of staff who was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018 for his participation in a coup attempt in 2015, has been ordered to be released by Niger’s courts.

Salou participated in the 2010 junta that toppled President Mamadou Tandja. President Issoufou justified the detention of twelve troops, including General Salou, three customs officers, and roughly ten civilians in December 2015 by asserting that a coup attempt had been thwarted.

For their roles in the coup attempt, General Salou, his son, and eight soldiers were given prison terms ranging from five to fifteen years by a military court in January 2018.

The court determined that they had instigated a scheme to compromise the legitimacy or safety of the state.

Since July 26, the military has dominated Niger after toppling Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s civilian president. After spending more than two years in France, former prime minister Hama Amadou returned to Niamey in September.