Why a coup in Niger could have global consequences

It was considered a pillar of stability in West Africa – a region plagued by military coups. But Niger seems to have suffered the same fate.

The army says it’s backing members of the presidential guard, who announced on Wednesday that they’d removed the democratically-elected president.

The landlocked former French colony sits at the centre of the Sahel, and has been a key western ally in the fight against islamist groups in the region.