Niger’s new military ruler said Saturday a transition of power would not go beyond three years, and warned that any attack on the country would not be easy for those involved.
“Our ambition is not to confiscate power,” General Abdourahamane Tiani said in a televised address, adding that an attack on Niger would not be “a walk in the park”.
His warning came a day after ECOWAS declared its readiness for armed intervention to restore democratic order in Niger.
In a 12-minute televised speech, Tiani announced the launch of a “national dialogue” which has 30 days to formulate “concrete proposals” to lay “the foundations of a new constitutional life”.
The announcement came after an ECOWAS delegation arrived in Niamey earlier Saturday for talks to try to defuse the political crisis in Niger.
The ECOWAS delegation in Niamey met with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in the presence of Prime Minister Ali Zeine and a member of junta, according to a FRANCE 24 correspondent.
Zeine was appointed prime minister after the July 26 and is the most senior civilian appointed by the military leaders.
The ECOWAS delegation, which landed in Niamey earlier Saturday, is led by former Nigerian defence chief Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Source: France24
