A group of officers, supported by the Americans, from General Abdourahamane Tchiani’s inner circle, but questioning his authority, intend to facilitate the intervention of ECOWAS. Their objective is to legitimately bring themselves to power and thus put an end to any solution for the return of President Mohamed Bazoum to the helm of Niger.
Within the new military board at the head of Niger, the CNSP (Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie, in French), some of its members accuse their leader of being manipulated by former president Mohamadou Issoufou and his cowardice. While General Abdourahamane Tchiani remained prostrate in the presidential palace, paranoid, tired, overwhelmed by the situation and no longer lucid enough to carry out his duties, a group of factious general officers, the “group of Americans”, tried to take advantage of the situation to seize power.
Generals Salifou Modi, Moussa Salaou Barmou and Mamane Sani Kiaou saw in the intervention of ECOWAS and the support of the Americans the opportunity to be the architects of a way out of the crisis and the only credible solution to the post-Tchiani situation.
Responsible for coordinating the Niger forces in the event of an ECOWAS attack, General Moussa Salaou Barmou is in a position to directly or indirectly facilitate the military intervention of the African coalition, without running the risk of a coup within the coup. His proximity to the Americans means that he can envisage taking over from General Abdourahamane Tchiani, and definitively ousting the return of President Mohamed Bazoum.
In the event of failure, and in order to provide for any eventuality, the Americans have offered him guarantees to leave Niger and settle in the United Arab Emirates with his entire family.
General Mamane Sani Kiaou, a controversial figure in particular after the abuses perpetrated against civilians as part of the Almahaou anti-terrorist operation, as revealed by investigative hearings, has no more training in running a country than General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
If his plan succed it can only worsen the security and economic situation in the sub-region, and consequently in southern Libya.