The military government in Niger has reported the prevention of an escape attempt by the deposed former President, Mohamed Bazoum. According to a military spokesperson, the ex-president and his family, along with their staff and security personnel, made an effort to flee during the night.

The plan involved using helicopters for their getaway, but it was thwarted. Mr. Bazoum has been placed under house arrest since a coup staged by members of his presidential guard in late July.

Niger is situated within the Sahel region of Africa, a semi-arid belt extending from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, just south of the Sahara Desert. This region is plagued by jihadist activities and marked by the presence of military regimes.

The escape attempt took place at approximately 03:00 local time on Thursday, as revealed by military spokesperson Amadou Abdramane during a broadcast on state television.

"The ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and his family, his two cooks and two security elements, tried to escape from his place of detention," he said.

The escape bid failed and "the main actors and some of the accomplices" were arrested, he added.

The elaborate plan involved Mr Bazoum getting to a hideout on the outskirts of the capital Niamey, Mr Abdramane said.

The group had then planned to fly out on helicopters "belonging to a foreign power" towards Nigeria, he added, denouncing Mr. Bazoum's "irresponsible attitude".

It is not clear where the former president and the rest of the group are now being held. An investigation has been launched.

The Niger military overthrew the democratically elected president in a coup on 26 July.

It mirrored similar military takeovers in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, amid an Islamist insurgency and a growing Russian influence in the wider Sahel region through its mercenary group Wagner.

Mr Bazoum has refused to officially resign.

Despite his captivity, he was able to publish an article in The Washington Post stating that he was a hostage and that the coup would have "devastating consequences for our country, our region, and the entire world".

Soon after Mr. Bazoum's overthrow, US President Joe Biden called for him to be "immediately released", and for the "preservation of Niger's hard-earned democracy".

That followed the expiration of a deadline by Ecowas, a power bloc of West African states, for the coup leaders to stand down.

Its threats of military intervention were not followed through, and the junta continued to ignore demands for the president's freedom.

Mr Bazoum's party and family members say he has had no access to running water, electricity, or fresh goods.

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