Niger’s military-appointed prime minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine said he saw hopes of a deal with the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to restore civilian rule after a coup in July. He said that Niger has not stopped contact with ECOWAS, and has hopes of reaching an agreement in the coming days
Niger’s military-appointed prime minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine said he saw hopes of a deal with the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to restore civilian rule after a coup in July. He said that Niger has not stopped contact with ECOWAS, and has hopes of reaching an agreement in the coming days.
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ECOWAS has imposed hefty sanctions against Niger after rebel soldiers on July 26 overthrew Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s democratically-elected president. It has also warned several times of intervening militarily to reinstate Bazoum if peaceful attempts to resolve the crisis fail. Analysts say a key question is the timeline for returning to civilian rule.
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https://trendsnafrica.com/algeria-proposes-a-six-month-transition-period-for-niger/
In the meantime, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu — who is also the current chairman of ECOWAS — last Thursday suggested a nine-month period such as his country underwent in the late 1990s. Algeria, Niger’s influential northern neighbor, has proposed a six-month transition. The military rulers so far have not responded to the suggestions. They had previously stuck to a three-year transition period. ECOWAS has taken a hard line with regard to Niger. They feel the cascade of coups in its region since 2020 in Mali and Burkina Faso, and now in Niger would upset the peace process in the region.
