At the same time as the Western threats and intimidation against Niger regarding military intervention in this country, the head of the military council in Niger warned against any military intervention. Meanwhile, members of the ECOWAS delegation met with the deposed president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, after meeting with the Prime Minister, appointed by the military junta, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
Niger’s military junta has proposed a 3 year transition of power . This followed talks with the ECOWAS delegation that arrived in Niamey yesterday.
The head of Niger’s military junta, Abdourahmane Tchiani, after meeting with the ECOWAS delegation, stressed that any attack on Niger “will not be a joke” and warned that any military intervention would be considered an occupation.
Tchiani said that the military council is ready to enter into a dialogue that “takes into account the sovereignty of Niger and the aspirations of its people.”
He added that the ECOWAS group wants to isolate Niger to “turn into a country incapable of confronting terrorism” and said: “The national forces will meet within 30 days to manage the transition period in Niger; The transition period will not exceed three years.
The delegation, led by Nigeria’s former military ruler and retired army general, Abdulsalam Abubakar, also met Niger’s deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum. His meeting with the delegation was his first appearance in public since last month’s coup.
The delegation landed in the capital Niamey at around 1200 pm on Saturday ahead of talks to return the country to democratic rule. The same delegation had been denied audience with Gen. Tchiani and Bazoum when they visited the country about two weeks days ago.
This delegation was dispatched at the request of the junta the day after the meeting of the ECOWAS military chiefs who announced that they had set out the D-Day for the start of the operation.
