Niger’s military has named General Abdourahmane Tchiani as the new head of a transitional government in the West African country.
The development is coming two days after President Mohamed Bazoum’s presidential guard restricted access to the presidential residence and offices.
The military also detained the democratically elected President Bazoum, Naija News reports.
In a live television programme on Friday, Tchiani named himself as the country’s new leader, saying he was the “president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland”.
The 62-year-old general also said the intervention had been necessary to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” of the country.
Tchiani said that while Bazoum had sought to convince people that “All is going well, the harsh reality (is) a pile of dead, displaced, humiliation and frustration.
“The security approach today has not brought security to the country despite heavy sacrifices.”
There was no mention of a timeline for return to civilian leadership.
Tchiani, who was drafted to lead the elite unit in 2015, is from Niger’s western region of Tillaberi, a main recruitment area for the army. He remains a close ally of former President Mahamadou Issoufou – the politician who led the country until 2021.
