Niger Junta Appoints Former Economy Minister As New Prime Minister

Niger Republic’s head of State, Abdourahmane Tiani, has named Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, former minister of economy and finance, as the country’s new prime minister.

The appointment was announced on Monday night, in a statement, nearly two weeks after the military took over power in Niger.

Zeine had served in the cabinet of president Mamadou Tandja as Finance Minister by the country’s military, until Tandja was overthrown in a coup d’état in 2010 by Major Salou Djibo, before a presidential election won by Mahamadou Issoufou, predecessor of Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed on 26 July.

Zeine, an economist by training, was also resident representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon.

The junta also appointed Amadou Didilli as the head of the country’s High Authority for Peace Consolidation (HACP) and Abou Tague Mahamadou as the inspectorgeneral of the army and the national gendarmerie.

Ibro Amadou Bachirou was appointed as the private chief of staff of the junta leader while Habibou Assoumane was named the commander of the presidential guard.

Tiani, until his new role as Niger’s head of state, had led the presidential guard which has held democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum hostage since July 26.

An ultimatum from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the coup plotters to reinstate Bazoum or risk a military intervention expired on Sunday.

ECOWAS said it will meet on Thursday to discuss how to proceed.

Chioma kalu

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