AFTER BEING FORCED TO RESIGN
Niger – Nearly two weeks after he was overthrown, Mohamed Bazoum, the president of Niger, reportedly has been freed. Former economy minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine has been appointed as the nation’s new prime minister by the coup’s organizers. This declaration was made on late Monday, August 7, 2023, night via a televised broadcast by a military junta official spokesperson.
Lamine Zeine was previously the minister of economy and finance in the administration of former president Mamadou Tandja, who was overthrown in 2010. Media in Niger said that he most recently worked as an economist at the African Development Bank in Chad.
According to reports, under Bazoum’s direction, Niger was a crucial ally of the Western countries in their fight against the rise of islamist terrorists in the Sahel region. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the leaders of the coup until the weekend to reinstate Bazoum or face sanctions. If the requirement was not met, the ultimatum threatened possible actions, including the use of force.
A joint team from the UN and ECOWAS was scheduled to be despatched by the African Union (AU) to Niger on Tuesday. According to the French magazine Jeune Afrique, the military government in Niger, which has shut down the country’s airspace, has refused to provide clearance for this mission.
The leaders of ECOWAS are preparing for a summit on Thursday, August 10, 2023, to discuss the standoff with the coup leaders of Niger, who have disregarded a deadline set for Sunday to restore the country’s former president Mohamed Bazoum.
The leader of ECOWAS, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, underscored that diplomacy continues to be the best course of action for resolving the problem in Niger. According to Tinubu and other West African leaders, a peaceful and diplomatic resolution is preferred, according to his spokesperson Ajuri Ngelale.
The latest diplomatic proposal from African states to restore constitutional order following the July 26th coup has been rejected by Niger’s military administration. The military government has come under pressure to enter negotiations from the United States and the UN.
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