On Monday, Niger’s junta announced the appointment of economist Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine as transitional prime minister, more than a week after the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The individuals who carried out the coup identified themselves as the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country. They were led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who was previously in charge of Niger’s presidential guard.
Zeine, aged 58, previously served as finance minister under Mamadou Tandja’s leadership from 1999 to 2010, during the country’s civilian rule.
Currently, he holds the position of African Development Bank’s Country Manager for Chad and has also served in similar roles in Ivory Coast and Gabon.
The decree stipulates that Zeine will oversee consultations for the establishment of a new government. As the military leaders ignored the ultimatum from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to relinquish power, ECOWAS plans to hold an emergency summit on Thursday in Nigeria to address the political crisis in Niger.
The US State Department has engaged directly with the coup leaders, emphasizing the importance of reinstating Bazoum and restoring Niger’s “constitutional order.” Bazoum was detained by the Presidential Guard on July 26, which subsequently announced the government takeover.
