Junta in Niger names Cabinet including civilians

Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, leader of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, the name of the junta in power in Niger since July 26, appointed Wednesday a cabinet that encompasses civilians and military officers under the nose of regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Gen. Salifou Modi, Bazoum’s former army chief of staff and the ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, is now vice president of the junta.
Mahamane Roufai Laouali, former second deputy secretary-general of the government, is now secretary-general, replacing Kandine Adam, while Soumana Boubacar, a teacher-researcher is named chief of staff to the President.
Modi already started his job prior to the unveiling of the cabinet. He was sent to Mali to meet transitional military authorities on Wednesday August 2.
The appointment of the cabinet flies in the face of the ECOWAS, which gave the junta one week to restore elected leader Mohamed Bazoum or face military intervention.
ECOWAS leaders slammed the July 26 coup and slapped economic sanctions on the country. A meeting of the regional leaders in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday, gave Tchiani to surrender power.
Niger’s neighbors, Burkina Faso and Mali as well as Guinea laid into the ECOWAS threat and argued that a military intervention in Niger will mean a “declaration of war” and disintegration of the regional organization.
Tchiani on the eve of the country’s Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 3, criticized ECOWAS and branded its attitude “contemptuous and bellicose”.
The new Niger strongman refused “to give in to any threats, wherever they may come from,” as well as rejecting any interference in Niger’s internal affairs.