Power has its perks in Niger and the rules are being rewritten by those in charge.
On Thursday, a national commission, representing participants to talks on the country’s transition to democratic rule, recommended a minimum five-year transition period that can be extended if needed. The presidential guard ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, in July 2023, putting the country under the control of a military junta that originally proposed a three-year limit to transition to civilian rule. The country’s political opposition and civil society groups have largely boycotted the talks.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had rejected that original plan for a three-year transition. This strain with ECOWAS, among others, resulted in Niger leaving the bloc, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, two other countries in the Sahel that have also undergone military coups in recent years.
The national commission also recommended dissolving Niger’s political parties, which, unsurprisingly, were absent from the commission’s members.
The commission recommended that junta leader Brig. Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani be promoted to the rank of army general, further solidifying his power. It additionally recommended a general amnesty for all participants in the coup and to allow them to participate in elections.
The announcement comes amidst a worsening security situation in the Sahel since the juntas in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso took power. Civilians have been caught in the fighting between Islamist armed groups and government forces, targeted in atrocities by both sides, and over 3 million people have been displaced, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
A general amnesty for those involved in the coup would deny victims the right to seek justice and reinforce impunity. Former President Bazoum and his wife remain arbitrarily detained by the junta for politically motivated reasons.
This proposed solidification of power calls into question the expectation of Nigeriens for a transition to civilian rule and credible, free, and fair elections in the foreseeable future.
Democracy in Niger took a hit in 2023. With the commission’s new recommendations, the future of the country’s fragile democracy is looking even bleaker.
