On Friday, the putschists in Niger designated an army commander as the country’s new leader and issued a dire warning about the consequences of any foreign military intervention: anarchy.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who has been in charge of the Presidential Guard since 2011, made the claim that he was the “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland” while speaking on state television.
The general, who is in his fifties and has hitherto avoided the spotlight, claimed that the takeover was necessary because of “the degradation of the security situation” brought on by terrorist violence.
He questioned “the sense and scope of a security approach to the fight against terrorism which excludes any real collaboration with Burkina Faso and Mali,” neighbours which face similar threats.
But the putschists, who have faced international condemnation for taking power from a democratically elected president, also warned of “the consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention”.
On the third day since President Mohamed Bazoum was detained, former colonial master France demanded the restoration of the government saying it “does not recognise” the putschists, and calling Bazoum the “sole president”.
The coup has prompted mounting concern and Kenyan President William Ruto called the army takeover “a serious setback” for Africa.
“The aspirations of the people of Niger for constitutional democracy were subverted by an unconstitutional change of government,” he said in a video message.
West African leaders will meet Sunday in the Nigerian capital Abuja to discuss the coup, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said.
