Niger’s military junta plans to hand over power to a civilian government within three years. General Abdourahmane Tchiani, who heads the junta, said this on Saturday international media said in a televised address. “It is not our ambition to seize power,” said the coup leader. Exactly how the transfer of power would take place, the junta will still decide among themselves.
Tchiani’s speech followed the visit of a delegation from the West African bloc Ecowas on Saturday. The coup plotters and the surrounding countries do not seem to have come closer together with that visit. The general has called the sanctions imposed on Niger since the coup “illegal” and “inhumane”.
Ecowas thinks three years is too long, a spokesperson said on Sunday against the BBC. “They need to get ready to hand over power as soon as possible.” The threat of military intervention by Ecowas remains in the air. Tchiani threatened back: “If they attack us, they won’t have it as easy as some seem to think.”