General Abdourahmane Tchiani declares self president of Niger Republic
General Abdourahmane Tchiani, head of Niger’s presidential guard, has named himself head of a transitional government in the West African country.
This comes two days after his unit overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.
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He made the announcement on Friday on state-run television, saying he was the “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland”.
The 62-year-old general also said the intervention had been necessary to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country.
He said while Bazoum had sought to convince people that “all is going well, the harsh reality is a pile of dead, displaced, humiliation and frustration”.
“The security approach today has not brought security to the country despite heavy sacrifices,” Tchiani said.
There was no mention of a timeline for return to civilian leadership.
Tchiani who was drafted to lead the elite unit in 2011, is from Niger’s western region of Tillaberi, close to the border with Mali.
He remains a close ally of former President Mahamadou Issoufou – the politician who led the country until 2021.
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The general reportedly led the resistance to a thwarted coup attempt in March 2021, when a military unit tried to seize the presidential palace days before Bazoum, who had just been elected, was due to be sworn in.
On Wednesday, Tchiani’s unit detained Bazoum in the presidential palace in the capital, Niamey, provoking a flurry of condemnation from leaders within Africa and beyond.
It, however, remains unclear where Bazoum is or if he is still being detained.
