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Soldiers in Niamey (on 30 July)

Photo: STRINGER / REUTERS

Almost two weeks after the military took power in Niger, the coup plotters have appointed a prime minister. In a televised statement late Monday night, a spokesman for the military junta named economist Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine as the new prime minister.

Lamine Zeine used to be Minister of Economy and Finance for several years in the cabinet of former President Mamadou Tandja, who was overthrown in 2010, and most recently worked as an economist for the African Development Bank in Chad, according to a Nigerien media report.

In the desperately poor country with a population of around 26 million, the military ousted the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum at the end of July, suspended the constitution and dissolved all constitutional institutions. Under Bazoum, Niger had been one of the West's last strategic partners in the fight against the advance of Islamist terrorists in the Sahel.

Meanwhile, negotiations on a diplomatic solution continue – albeit with limited success so far. Most recently, the US top diplomat Victoria Nuland had met, according to media reports, leading heads of the military junta.

Several U.S. media, including CNN, reported on Monday evening (local time) that Nuland had met on Monday in Niger with the new chief of staff of the armed forces, Moussa Salao Barmou, and three other members of the military junta.

Nuland: Conversation was "open and sometimes quite difficult"

Nuland later described the conversation, which lasted more than two hours, as "very open and sometimes quite difficult" in a conversation with some reporters. Nuland's request to meet the ousted and imprisoned President Bazoum was refused. She was also unable to see the self-proclaimed new ruler, General Abdourahamane Tiani.

An ultimatum issued by the West African community of states Ecowas to the coup plotters to reinstate Bazoum expired at the weekend. Otherwise, Ecowas will take measures that could include violence, the ultimatum said.

The heads of state and government of the Ecowas member states now want to discuss the next steps on Thursday in Nigeria's capital Abuja. The airspace over the country was closed indefinitely on Monday.

jok/dpa