Niger’s military-appointed prime minister conducted a visit to Chad on Tuesday and engaged in discussions with his Chadian counterpart and President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, Chadian government and Deby’s office said.
Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a civilian figure chosen after the coup in Niger on July 26, arrived for a “working visit,” according to the government’s statement on Facebook.
The presidency’s press office noted that he conveyed a “message” from the regime’s leader to President Deby.
Zeine, possessing a background in economics and previously holding the position of finance minister in the early 2000s, was designated last week by the leaders of the coup that removed Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
The visit coincides with the scheduled gathering of military leaders from the West African regional group ECOWAS in Ghana on Thursday and Friday. Their discussions will revolve around potential armed intervention strategies aimed at reinstating Bazoum to his presidential position.
Chad and Niger, both economically challenged nations with a history of instability, share a lengthy border spanning approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles).
Deby, a significant player in the intricate dynamics of the volatile Sahel region, journeyed to Niamey on July 30, just four days following the coup.
In one photograph, he was captured alongside the detained Bazoum, and in another, he was seen seated beside General Salifou Mody, a prominent figure within the Niger regime.