General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the leader of the Niger junta, has announced that the army is committed to transferring authority to a civilian government within the next three years. This declaration was made during a televised address on Saturday evening.
General Tchiani’s statement followed a meeting with a delegation from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retired).
Tchiani revealed that a committee will be established within a month by the junta to examine and formulate the country’s new constitution. While emphasizing Niger’s desire to avoid conflict, he underlined the nation’s preparedness to defend itself if circumstances warrant, while also expressing openness to negotiations.
Although ECOWAS has yet to respond to the junta leader’s speech, Abdulsalami is anticipated to brief the regional organization on the meeting’s outcomes.
Meanwhile, Niger’s military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, reassured that the ousted president, Mohamed Bazoum, would remain secure and unharmed. President Bola Tinubu had earlier cautioned against any deterioration in Bazoum’s health while under house arrest, warning of potential serious consequences.
Lamine Zeine affirmed, “He will be safe, as violence is not part of Niger’s tradition.”
The new leadership in Niger has thus far demonstrated limited flexibility and has cautioned against unlawful acts of aggression.
In a separate development, Radio France International reported that thousands of volunteers congregated in central Niamey on Saturday in response to a call to register as civilian auxiliaries, available to assist the military if needed.
These events follow the ECOWAS military chiefs’ two-day conference in Accra, the capital of Ghana, during which the regional bloc affirmed its readiness to intervene in Niger whenever such an order is given.