The head of Niger’s ruling National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland (CNSP), General Abdurahman Tchiani, said his country does not want war, but will be ready to defend itself if necessary.
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“Neither the army nor the people of Niger want war, but we will resist any manifestation of it,” Al-Jazeera quoted him as saying.
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He noted that the states of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) do not realize that Niger has become the key to containing the region from destabilization against the backdrop of increased terrorist activity.
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Tchiani also stressed that the sanctions imposed against his country are aimed at subjugating the rebels, but not at all to find a solution to the current situation. He added that the people demanded that the army rally around the Rebel Council.
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He also called on the people of the country to dialogue to determine its future constitutional order. He stressed that the government was informed about the launch of an appropriate mechanism to discuss the country’s new constitutional foundations. Tchiani added that he and his supporters are ready for any communication that takes into account the opinion of the citizens of Niger. According to him, the rebels do not seek to seize power in the country and seek to come to a solution that would meet the interests of the people.
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At the end of July, the Niger military announced on national television the removal of President Mohamed Bazum from power. The leaders of most Western countries and the regional organization ECOWAS condemned the coup. In early August, the participants in the emergency meeting of the Chiefs of General Staff of the Armed Forces of the ECOWAS countries held in Abuja adopted a plan in case of military intervention in Niger.
