Niger’s junta on Monday, designated Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, an economist, to take over the responsibility of the transitional prime minister.
This information was disclosed by the coup instigators through a decree that was read on national television, just a week after the military coup which successfully deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
As reported by Anadolu Agency, the interim administration, identifying itself as the National Council for the Preservation of the Nation, made its debut, with Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the former chief of Niger’s presidential guard, formally announcing himself as the leader of a provisional governing body.
Zeine, aged 58, previously held the position of finance minister during the tenure of Mamadou Tandja, who led the country from 1999 to 2010 after the restoration of civilian rule.
At present, he occupies the post of Country Manager for Chad at the African Development Bank. Prior to this, he also held the same position within the institution in Ivory Coast and Gabon.
The decree mandates Zeine to undertake the role of conducting consultations, with the primary objective of shaping the framework for a new government.
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Following the dismissal of the military leadership’s disregard for its stipulated ultimatum, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is set to convene another emergency summit in Nigeria on Thursday. The summit’s primary focus will be on addressing the prevailing political crisis in Niger.
The US State Department confirmed on Monday that it initiated direct engagement with the coup’s leadership. During these discussions, the department emphasised the importance of restoring Bazoum to his position and returning Niger to its established ‘constitutional order.’
The Presidential Guard took Bazoum into custody on July 26, and then on the same evening, declared their assumption of government control.