Niger Republic Military Junta Leader Names Transitional Cabinet

Niger Military Junta leader General Abdourahmane Tchiani has appointed a cabinet in defiance of calls by regional leaders to restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The cabinet was announced on state television at 00:30GMT (01:30 local time) on Thursday. The new government is made up of 21 ministers, including two ministers of state and a delegate minister.

The new transitional government, made up of military and civilian personalities, is led by interim Prime Minister Lamine Zeine Ali Mahamane, who will also double up as the Minister of Economy and Finance.

Former Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Salifou Mody, widely considered to be gen Tchiani’s deputy, has been named Minister of National Defence.

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Colonel Major Abdourahmane Amadou, who has been reading the majority of communiques on state television since the 26 July coup, is the minister of youth and sports.

The junta has already named new military chiefs and sacked most of the senior government officials who served in Mr. Bazoum’s administration.

On Wednesday, the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, met with the military leaders in Niger Republic.

The former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria met the military leadership after the junta aborted a meeting with representatives of the African Union, ECOWAS and a top American diplomat.

A delegation raised by ECOWAS could not broker peace with the military rulers as they declined a meeting.

Sanusi, who is the Khalifa of the sect in Nigeria, met the Junta leaders in company of the Sultan of Damagaran. Damagaran is the third largest city in the Republic of Niger.