Niger appoints new chief of staff after thwarted mutiny

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Niger’s junta chief appointed a new chief of staff, state TV reported on Friday, after a thwarted army mutiny last month shook his grip on power.

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Supporters of the military government put down the attempted uprising with the help of Russian mercenaries, but not before intense fighting in the capital.

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Disgruntled soldiers attacked several sensitive sites in Niamey and hunkered down in a key military base at the airport.

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“By a decree signed on September 11, 2026, General Abdourahamane Tiani has appointed Brigadier General Mamane Sani Kiaou as chief of staff of the armed forces,” state TV reported a statement as saying.

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Kiaou, who previously served as army chief of staff, replaces General Moussa Salaou Barmou.

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The statement did not say why Barmou had been dismissed.

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Niger has been run by General Tiani since a coup in July 2023 that toppled the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been detained ever since.

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Tiani also appointed General Abdourahmane Abou Zataka to succeed Kiaou as army chief of staff, the statement added.

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Described as a “seasoned field commander” by associates, Kiaou has led a fight against jihadist groups in Niger’s western Tillaberi region and in the southeastern Diffa area.

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Nigerien state media reported that he recently concluded a tour of the country’s key military garrisons aimed at “restoring cohesion among the troops.”

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Kiaou also led negotiations that resulted in the withdrawal of French and US forces from Niger following the July 2023 coup.

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Tiani has moved the country closer to Russia and away from Western partners, notably former colonial power France.

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State television had previously broadcast accusations that France was behind last month’s uprising.

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AFP

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