Niger coup leader Gen Tchiani promises to handover power in three years

Niger's coup person has promised to instrumentality the West African federation to civilian regularisation wrong 3 years.

Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani made the announcement aft gathering mediators from the West African determination bloc Ecowas successful the capital, Niamey.

Ecowas has threatened subject enactment to reverse past month's overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum if talks fail.

The junta caput said that Niger did not privation a warfare but would support itself against immoderate overseas intervention.

"If an onslaught were to beryllium undertaken against us, it volition not beryllium the locomotion successful the parkland immoderate radical look to think," helium warned successful his televised code connected Saturday evening.

Gen Tchiani besides reiterated disapproval of what helium called the "illegal and inhumane" sanctions imposed by Ecowas connected the landlocked country.

This has included cutting electricity, resulting successful blackouts successful Niamey and different large cities, arsenic good arsenic blocking important imports.

Lorry drivers person been stuck for weeks waiting to bring successful supplies, forcing up nutrient prices.

"Sanctions are not conceived with the purpose of uncovering a solution but to bring america to our knees and humiliate us," Gen Tchiani said.

Thousands of men came to a stadium successful Niamey connected Saturday to registry for a unpaid unit successful lawsuit of penetration - though overcrowding prevented the registration process starting, the Reuters quality bureau reports.

Regional efforts to reverse the coup person been backed by the US and France, which some person subject bases successful Niger. These bases are portion of efforts to tackle jihadist groups successful the wider Sahel region.

The junta leader, who headed the statesmanlike defender earlier seizing powerfulness connected 26 July, said subject involution could worsen the Islamist insurgencies linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

"They look ignorant to the information that it is successful ample portion acknowledgment to the professionalism and valour of the defence and information forces of Niger that Niger has remained a obstruction preventing violent hordes from destabilising the full region," helium said.

The coup mirrors akin caller takeovers successful neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali.

And the power of Russia successful the wider Sahel portion is besides increasing done its mercenary radical Wagner.

Gen Tchiani did not springiness details astir the handover of power, but said the principles for the modulation would beryllium decided wrong 30 days astatine a "dialogue" hosted by the coup leaders.

Ecowas has not yet commented connected the announcement but to accidental that during the sojourn connected Saturday, mediators besides met Mr Bazoum, who has been successful detention with his woman and lad since the coup.

Their delegation was led by erstwhile Nigerian subject person Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and besides included Nigeria's astir elder Muslim leader, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa'adu Abubakar III.

He wields immense power successful Niger, portion of which utilized to beryllium successful the Sokoto Caliphate, a almighty kingdom earlier assemblage rule.

Saturday's gathering was was the archetypal betwixt leaders of the junta and Ecowas.