Suspected of being behind the mutiny against the Nigerien president, the commander of the presidential guard, a controversial figure in the army, has finally been designated as the President of the CNSP (National Council for the Safeguard of the Republic) on Friday, July 28th.
After 48 hours of consultations, General Abdouramane Tchiani, head of the presidential guard for the last two Nigerien presidents, broke his silence to officially announce his takeover of power as President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Republic (CNSP).
According to a statement read by the man himself, the mysterious head of the presidential guard since 2015 justified the coup d’état by citing “the deterioration of the security situation” in the country.
“My fellow countrymen, evidently, the ousted authorities were committed to setting up a sort of militia for their own interest,” stated the two-star brigadier general. As the leader of the coup plotters, General Tchiani had not yet spoken publicly. Until now, it was Colonel Amadou Abdramane who spoke on behalf of the CNSP.
Also known as Omar Tchiani, he orchestrated the takeover that began on Wednesday when the unit of the presidential guard under his command seized control of the country’s leader. This has thus shattered the Niger’s first peaceful and democratic transition since its independence in 1960. President Mohamed Bazoum is believed to be in good health and is still being held by his own guards.
