Niger has accepted the mediation of Algeria, which offers the military who took power in this West African country “a six-month transition plan”, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, October 2. . “The Algerian government has received, through the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an acceptance of Algerian mediation aimed at promoting a political solution to the crisis in Niger,” the ministry said in a press release.
The Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, instructed the head of diplomacy, Ahmed Attaf, “to go to Niamey as soon as possible to begin discussions (…) with all stakeholders”, according to the same source . Algiers had proposed at the end of August political discussions “for a maximum of six months (…) with the participation and approval of all parties in Niger without exclusion”, under the supervision of a “civil authority led by a consensual personality and accepted by all sides of the political class”, in order to lead to the “reestablishment of constitutional order in the country”.
Until the Algerian announcement, the generals in power in Niamey had not reacted to proposals for a transition period limited in time. Their only speech on the subject dates back to August 19 when the country’s new strongman, General Abdourahamane Tiani, indicated that he wanted a transition of three years maximum.
Overcoming the crisis
Algiers considered that “the acceptance of the Algerian initiative reinforces the option of a political solution to this crisis and opens the way to the meeting of the conditions which should allow it to be overcome peacefully in the interest of the Niger and the entire region,” added the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Niger has been governed for more than two months by a military regime that came to power after a coup that overthrew the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. After the overthrow on July 26 of Nigerien President Bazoum, elected in 2021, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), supported by several Western countries, announced on August 10 its intention to deploy a west- African “to restore constitutional order in Niger”. Since then, the standoff between the two parties has dragged on but President Tebboune made it known on August 6 that he “categorically refused any military intervention” from outside Niger which would represent, according to him, “a direct threat to the Algeria”.
The Nigerien military regime has also been engaged in another standoff with France since the coup, with Paris not recognizing the new authorities in Niger. On September 24, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the withdrawal of 1,500 French soldiers from Niger by the end of the year and the return to Paris of the ambassador to Niamey, Sylvain Itté, two demands from the military in power.