News Desk
Amidst threat of attack by the Economic Community of West African States the new military government in November get Republic has promised to return the country to civilian administration in three years time.
Leader of the junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who spoke in a televised broadcast on Saturday night, after meeting with ECOWAS mediators, led by the former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), promised that the military government would initiate a timetable for return to democratic government within a month, adding that it would form a committee to study and introduce a new constitution of the country.
General Tchiani, who maintained that Niger did not want to go to war, however warned that the country would defend itself if the need arises in the case of any foreign invasion.
This is even as he re emphasized that the junta will continue to leave an open door for negotiation with ECOWAS leaders as well as order foreign interests
Meanwhile, Niger’s military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, said that the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum would be safe and unharmed.
Recall President Bola Tinubu on Friday warned of impending “grave consequences” should the military rulers of Niger allow Bazoum’s health to deteriorate while under house arrest.
Lamine Zeine told The New York Times that, “Nothing will happen to him, because we don’t have a tradition of violence in Niger.”
Niger’s new rulers have so far shown little flexibility and warned against an “illegal aggression”.
Meanwhile, Radio France International reported that thousands of volunteers turned out in central Niamey on Saturday answering a call to register as civilian auxiliaries who could be mobilised to support the army.
This came even as fellow West Africa military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso have indicated readiness to send troops and military equipment to support Niger in the case of a possible ECOWAS attack.
The countries which had earlier warned against any form military intervention in Niger by ECOWAS leaders declared that it would view any attack on the tiny West African state as an attack on them
This is coming on the heels of ECOWAS force readiness to intervene in Niger ‘anytime the order is given’, after a two-day meeting of the regional bloc’s military chiefs in Accra, capital city of Ghana.
Techrectory with agency report
