Head of Niger’s military, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has announced the establishment of a new anti-corruption body.
He noted that Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, will not try to rejoin the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), after leaving the organization last year.
General Tchiani also stated that the former president, Mohammed Bazoum, who was removed from power during a coup in July 2023, will not be released.
The decision to withdraw from ECOWAS was announced on January 27, 2024, by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Despite efforts to reconcile, they decided to leave the bloc.
After leaving ECOWAS, the foreign ministers of the three countries proposed creating a confederation as a step towards eventually forming a federation with their West African neighbors.
In an interview with the RTN news channel in Niamey, General Tchiani explained the reasons behind the withdrawal, citing issues with supplies, power, and frozen funds as motivations.
His words: “Just because we are members of the bloc, food and medicine supplies were cut off. Power was also cut off, and our funds have been frozen. So, we consulted our friends in the Sahel on exiting the bloc to better the lives of our citizens.
“That we should withdraw from the bloc that is answerable to the foreign countries. So, we have withdrawn our membership from the bloc and would never return to the union.”
Regarding concerns about security and trade, General Tchiani expressed confidence, stating that global interconnectedness would ensure the country’s well-being. He also stressed that releasing Bazoum would be detrimental to the people of Niger.
“Now that the world is a global village, is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.
“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach which would do harm to Nigeriens,” he added