The head of Niger’s presidential guard has declared himself the leader of a transitional government following Wednesday’s coup d’état, which deposed the West African nation’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. On Friday, General Abdourahamane Tchiani said on state-run television the coup was necessary to prevent the “gradual and inevitable demise” of Niger.

Over the weekend, ECOWAS, a bloc of 15 West African nations, slapped sanctions on leaders of the coup and threatened to expel them by force unless they cede power within a week. On Sunday, thousands of supporters of the junta attempted to storm the French Embassy in the capital Niamey, burning French flags and chanting slogans against Niger’s former colonial ruler. They were turned away by soldiers firing tear gas. Many Nigeriens are rejecting the interference of foreign actors following the coup.

Falmata Taya: “The international community that says it’s here for us, we don’t want it. We don’t want its moral lesson, because it’s no longer credible in the eyes of Africans. We can’t understand why they support a coup d’état in Chad and oppose them in Mali and Burkina Faso. It’s an internal problem, which only concerns Nigeriens. If we call on them, they can cooperate with us. But we don’t need their moral lessons.”