Nigerien Niger President Mohamed Bazoum meets with the French Foreign and Armies ministers during their official visit to Niamey 2 UN Chief Spoke With Niger President Held In Coup Attempt – Spokesman — (FILES) Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum meets with the French Foreign and Armies ministers during their official visit to Niamey on July 15, 2022. (Photo by BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)

The United Nations secretary-general spoke Wednesday with Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum and offered his “full support” to the leader who has apparently been detained in a coup attempt, a UN spokesman said.

“This afternoon @antonioguterres spoke to @mohamedbazoum. He expressed his full support and solidarity to the Nigerien President,” the spokesman said in a statement on Twitter, the social media site rebranded as X.

The UN chief’s phone call is the latest development following reports that Bazoum was being held by disgruntled members of the elite Presidential Guard, who in turn were given an “ultimatum” by the army.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which Tinubu serves as Chairman, has since condemned what it called an “attempted coup” and called on the “plotters” to release Bazoum immediately and without condition.