Niger’s military-appointed prime minister on Monday said he saw hopes of a deal with the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to use force to restore civilian rule after a coup in July.
“We have not stopped contacts with ECOWAS, we are continuing contacts. We have good hopes of reaching an agreement in the coming days,” Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine told a press conference in Niamey.
ECOWAS — the Economic Community of West African States — has imposed hefty sanctions against Niger after rebel soldiers on July 26 overthrew Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s democratically-elected president.
It has also warned several times of intervening militarily to reinstate Bazoum, but only if peaceful attempts to resolve the crisis fail.
“We are bracing to be attacked at any time. Every preparation has been taken. It would be an unjust war. We are determined to defend ourselves if there is an attack,” Zeine told reporters.
A key question in the crisis is a timeline for returning to civilian rule.
