TheCable

The ruling military junta in the Niger Republic has reportedly agreed to revise its transition period to democracy.

Speaking on Niger’s national television on Thursday, Robert Dussey, Togo’s foreign minister and chief diplomat, said he had reached an agreement with Ali Lamine Zeine, Niger’s prime minister, and Bakary Yaou Sangare, the country’s foreign minister.

Dussey said the agreement is centred “on the content and timing of the transition,” adding that “we are ready to present the plan… to the mediating heads of state and the ECOWAS Commission”.

In a fresh round of sanctions against Niger, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on Sunday, officially suspended the country until constitutional order is restored.

In exchange for lifting the sanctions, ECOWAS leaders asked the military junta to release deposed President Mohamed Bazoum but Abdourahamane Tiani, leader of the junta, rejected the proposal.

The bloc also asked the junta to shorten the duration of the transition period, currently set at three years.

Although Tiani agreed to this request, he did not specify how long the transition period would be revised to.

Dussey is expected to return to Niamey, Niger’s capital, in January with Timothy Kabba, his Sierra Leonian counterpart, to continue discussions with the junta.