The Niger junta’s head, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has pledged to cede power to a civilian administration within the next three years, He said this on Saturday night during a live broadcast on television.
Tchiani stated after he had a meeting with an ECOWAS group that was being led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a former head of state.
According to General Tchiani, the junta will set up a commission to research and draft a new constitution for the nation within a month.
The General stated that, despite his insistence that Niger did not desire war, the nation would defend itself if necessary. He did, however, emphasize that there was still room for bargaining.
ECOWAS has not yet responded to the junta leader’s statement, but Abdulsalami is anticipated to inform the regional group of the meeting’s results.
The deposed president Mohamed Bazoum would remain secure and uninjured, according to Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, the prime minister of Niger who was installed by the military.
Recall The military authorities of Niger were forewarned on Friday by President Bola Tinubu of looming “grave consequences” if they permitted Bazoum’s health to deteriorate while he was under house arrest.
The New York Times was informed by Lamine Zeine that “Nothing will happen to him, because we don’t have a tradition of violence in Niger.”
The new leaders of Niger have so far exhibited little flexibility and have cautioned against “illegal aggression”.
In the meantime, Radio France International claimed that thousands of volunteers responded to a request to register as civilian auxiliary who could be called upon to support the army on Saturday by converging in central Niamey.
Also Read ECOWAS says Military option not off the table, after second meeting on Niger Coup.
This comes after the ECOWAS military chiefs met for two days in Accra, the capital of Ghana, to discuss the readiness of the regional alliance’s forces to intervene in Niger “anytime the order is given.”
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