Niamey, July 28 (RHC)-- Leaders of Niger’s military have declared their support for the mutinous officers who declared a coup Wednesday against the nation’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. 

Two days after members of his own presidential guard deposed him, President Bazoum has refused to step down; it’s not clear who’s currently running Niger’s government.  On Thursday, supporters of the coup set fire to the headquarters of Bazoum’s governing party.

Meanwhile, The Intercept reports a leader of the attempted coup was trained by the U.S. military at the Army base formerly known as Fort Benning — named after a Confederate general — which was recently renamed Fort Moore. 

Just last month, coup leader Brigadier General Moussa Salaou Barmou met with the head of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Lieutenant General Jonathan Braga, at a U.S. drone base in Niger.  

African officers trained by the U.S. military have taken part in 11 coups in West Africa since 2008.