Niger coup leader Gen Tchiani promises to handover power in three years

The junta head said that Niger did not want a war but would defend itself against any foreign intervention.

Thousands of men came to a stadium in Niamey on Saturday to register for a volunteer force in case of invasion – although overcrowding prevented the registration process starting, the Reuters news agency reports.

People gather near General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey to join a volenteer force – 19 August 2023

Crowds near General Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey on Saturday

Regional efforts to reverse the coup have been backed by the US and France, which both have military bases in Niger

“They seem ignorant to the fact that it is in large part thanks to the professionalism and valour of the defence and security forces of Niger that Niger has remained a barrier preventing terrorist hordes from destabilising the whole region,” he said.

He wields huge influence in Niger, part of which used to be in the Sokoto Caliphate, a powerful kingdom before colonial rule.