The leader of the Coup in Niger, General Abdourahmene Tchiani has declared himself as the new leader of the embattled country.
Gen Tchiani had staged a coup on Wednesday to take over from ousted President Mohamed Bazoum thereby disrupting Niger’s peaceful and democratic transition since independence in 1960.
Speaking in a televised address, General Tchiani explained that the coup was because of several problems such as insecurity, economic problems, corruption amongst many others that plagued the country.
The 62-year-old General has been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011 and was promoted to the rank of general in 2018 by former President Mahamadou Issoufou.
He had also been linked to a 2015 coup attempt against the ex-president but appeared in court to deny it.
The Wednesday coup has been globally condemned by international bodies including the African Union, West African regional bloc (ECOWAS), the EU and the UN.
Meanwhile President Bola Tinubu, has deployed Patrice Talon of Benin Republic to Niger on a democracy rescue mission.
The two leaders met in Abuja to discuss an immediate solution to the situation in Niger, where President Bazoum Mohammed is being detained.
Niger’s coup is the latest in a wave of takeovers that have hit the West African region in recent years, toppling governments in countries including Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
