Niger’s military-appointed prime minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, visited neighbouring Chad on Tuesday August 15, 2023.
Deutsche Welle reports that Zeine spoke with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took power in Chad contrary to measures outlined in the constitution following the death of his father, the former president. Chad has been under military rule since April 2021.
Earlier, leaders of the coup in Niger on Tuesday (August 15, 2023) recalled the country’s ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire. RFI reported that Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for the junta, said the ambassador had returned to Niamey for consultations. The move follows comments by Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara in which he said he was prepared to provide troops for any military intervention in Niger.
RFI also reports that the African Union brought together representatives from Niger and the West African block Ecowas on Monday for the latest talks aimed at resolving the crisis in the country, where a military junta has seized power and is holding elected president Mohamed Bazoum captive.
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Niger’s defence ministry said late on Tuesday August 15 that 17 soldiers were killed in an attack by suspected militants in the western part of the country. A defence ministry statement said its forces were ambushed near the town of Koutougou, which is located near Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
