Africa
Niger Junta Names New Prime Minister
As Niger’s Western and African allies grapple with differing opinions regarding potential military intervention for the restoration of civilian authority, these divisions persist.
The leaders of Niger’s recent military coup on Monday announced Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the new prime minister.
In a statement read out on national television, this development comes amid global efforts to reinstate constitutional governance in the country.
Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane reported the appointment of Mr Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as Prime Minister.
Upon assuming office, ex-president Mamadou Tandja swiftly named Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as cabinet director in 2001, subsequently entrusting him with the role of finance minister in 2002. Zeine’s appointment aimed to address a tumultuous economic and financial landscape.
Mr. Zeine served until Mamadou Tandja’s removal in a coup d’état orchestrated by Major Salou Djibo in 2010. This paved the way for a subsequent presidential election, clinched by Mahamadou Issoufou, the forerunner of Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted on July 26th.
Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a trained economist, also assumed the role of resident representative for the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, and Gabon
Born in 1965 in Zinder (south), the country’s second most populous town, he joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1991 after studying at the Ecole nationale d’administration (ENA) in Niamey. He is also a graduate of the Centre d’études financières, économiques et bancaires in Marseille and Paris-I.
Colonel Major Abdramane announced the appointment of “Lieutenant-Colonel Habibou Assoumane” as the new “Commander of the Presidential Guard.”
A mere day following the issuance of an ultimatum by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), urging the incumbent military authority to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, these appointments have surfaced. The regional organization has not dismissed the possibility of employing coercive measures should this demand remain unfulfilled.
As Niger’s Western and African allies grapple with differing opinions regarding potential military intervention for the restoration of civilian authority, these divisions persist. The issue is poised for further deliberation as ECOWAS convenes once more on Thursday in Abuja, Nigeria.