Niger has accepted the mediation of Algeria, which is offering the military who took power in this West African country “a six-month transition plan,” the Algerian foreign ministry 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 Algerian 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 this press release.
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 and accepted by all sides of the political class”, in order to lead to “the restoration of constitutional order in the country”.
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 Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Restore constitutional order”
Until the Algerian announcement, the generals in power in Niamey had not reacted to the proposals for a limited transition period that had been made to them. Their only statement 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.
After the July 26 overthrow of Nigerien President Mohamed 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 force 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.
