President's residence sealed off in Niger

Access to the official residence of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was blocked off early Wednesday, July 26, by members of the elite Presidential Guard, a source close to Bazoum said, although the reason was unclear, Report informs via Le Monde.

The landlocked West African state is one of the most coup-prone nations in the world, experiencing four since independence from France in 1960 as well as numerous attempted coups.

Guards blocked off access both to Bazoum's residence and the presidential offices in Niamey, although there was no abnormal military deployment or sounds of gunfire in the area, and traffic was normal, an AFP journalist saw.