Coup: Niger’s military junta forms new government
By Jennifer S Kuwanta
The military leaders in the Republic of Niger who seized power in a coup in July have formed a new government, according to a decree on national television on Thursday.
Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine will lead the 21-member government, with generals from the new military governing council heading the defence and interior ministries.
Meanwhile, top diplomats from the United Nations, African Union, and the Economic Community of West African States will Thursday (today) storm Abuja, the nation’s capital, to take major decisions at an Extraordinary Summit on political development in the Niger Republic.
Recall that the Niger military junta had disconnected diplomatic ties with Nigeria after the ECOWAS envoy sent to the country to broker peace failed to achieve a result.
Last month, a military junta toppled Niger’s democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum.
According to reports, tension has continued to mount in the West African region.
In another news, Former Niger Delta Militant leader, Asari Dokubo, says if the Federal government commissions him and his group of boys, they will go into the Niger Republic and defeat the junta.
In a video shared on social media, Asari boasted that he and his boys have what it takes to defeat the military officers that overtook the Nigerien government.
In his words, “If the government commissions me and my people to go to Niger Republic, we will go. We will defeat them and we will come back victorious. It is not a boast. If they, let them go and bring anybody, they are human beings like us. We will go there, defeat them and restore democratic order.”
