Niger military junta ignores ECOWAS, names new prime minister

The coup plotters in Niger Republic have named a former economy minister, Ali Lamine Zeine, as the country’s new prime minister.

A spokesman for the military junta made the announcement on Monday, August 7.

Lamine Zeine was formerly the minister of economy and finance for several years in the cabinet of then-president Mamadou Tandja, who was ousted in 2010, and most recently worked as an economist for the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Chad.

The choice of Zeine by the junta is coming on the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS)’s decision to schedule another meeting on the Niger crisis.

ECOWAS had met in Abuja on August and issued a 7-day deadline for the Niger junta to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military intervention.

President Bola Tinubu, who is chairman of ECOWAS, on Monday, August 7, sent a notice of meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.

The notice read: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger. The Summit will hold in Abuja, on Thursday, August 10, 2023.”

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“The ECOWAS Leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the Summit.”