Abdourahamane Tchiani (Arabic: عبد الرحمن تشياني, romanized: ‘Abd ar-Rahman Tshiyānī; born 1960 or 1961 or 1 January 1964)[1] is a Nigerien military officer who is the president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, the military junta of Niger. He had served as the Chief of the Nigerien Presidential guard (2011–2023).[2][3] He played a key role in the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état by detaining President Mohamed Bazoum.[4] On 28 July 2023, he announced himself as the leader of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland; the junta that took power two days prior. His coup triggered the Nigerien crisis, which ended in 2024.
Abdourahamane Tchiani | |
|---|---|
عبد الرحمن تشياني | |
| President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland | |
| Assumed office 28 July 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Ali Lamine Zeine |
| Vice President | Salifou Modi |
| Preceded by | Mohamed Bazoum (as President of Niger) |
| Commander of the Presidential Guards | |
| In office 2011–2023 | |
| President | Mahamadou Issoufou Mohamed Bazoum |
| Succeeded by | Habibou Assoumane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1960 or 1961 (age 63–64)[1] Toukounous, Filingué, Niger |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Niger National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland |
| Branch/service | Niger Army |
| Years of service | 1984–present |
| Rank | Brigade general |
| Battles/wars | Boko Haram insurgency 2021 Nigerien coup attempt 2023 Nigerien coup d'état 2023 Nigerien crisis |
Early life
editAbdourahamane Tchiani is from the Tillabéri Region, a main recruitment area for the Nigerien army in the west of the country.[5] He is a member of the Hausa people.[6] He joined the army in 1984 and studied at the National School of Active Officers in Thiès, Senegal.[7]
Military career
editBefore becoming Commander of the Presidential guard, he led forces in Zinder, Agadez, and Diffa regions where he combated drug trafficking.[7] In 1989, he was the first officer to make it to the site of the UTA Flight 772 crash in the Ténéré desert, for which he was decorated.[8] He also served in UN peacekeeping missions in the Ivory Coast, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.[9] He also served in the Multinational Joint Task Force set up by Niger, Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon to fight Boko Haram.[6]
In 2011, Tchiani assumed command of the Presidential guards and was a close ally of then-President Mahamadou Issoufou, who promoted him to general in 2018. In 2015, Tchiani was accused of involvement in a coup plot against Issoufou but denied the charges in court.[1] He was otherwise seen as keeping his views to himself during that time.[6]
In 2021, Tchiani led the unit that thwarted an attempted coup; at the time a military unit tried to seize the Presidential palace two days before Issoufou stepped down to make way for his democratically elected successor, Mohamed Bazoum, who retained Tchiani in his post.[5]
Seizure of power
editOn 26 July 2023, Tchiani led the Presidential guards in detaining President Bazoum in the Presidential palace in the capital Niamey as part of the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état. The coup was reportedly led by Tchiani, whom analysts said Bazoum had planned to relieve from his position.[10] Sources close to Bazoum said that he had decided on Tchiani's dismissal at a cabinet meeting on 24 July as their relations had reportedly become strained.[11]
On 28 July, Tchiani proclaimed himself as the president of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland in an address on state television. He said the coup was undertaken to avoid "the gradual and inevitable demise" of the country and said that Bazoum had tried to hide "the harsh reality" of the country, which he called "a pile of dead, displaced, humiliation and frustration". He also criticized the Government's security strategy for its purported ineffectiveness.[12][1][13] Shortly afterwards, during a meeting with a delegation from ECOWAS, Tchiani proposed a three-year window for a transition to civilian rule.[14]
His coup led to the 2023 Nigerien crisis.[15]
Leadership
editUnder Tchiani's leadership, Niger joined Burkina Faso and Mali in a new alliance called the Alliance of Sahel States. US and EU troops were withdrawn from the country. The country also aligned itself closer to Russia and mercenary troops from the Wagner Group were sent to help Niger combat the Jihadist insurgents.[16]
Analists identified three main objectives of Tchiani's internal policy: modernizing the army, promoting economic growth (including a lessened dependence on uranium through investments in agriculture, infrastructure and renewable energy), and implementing an anti-corruption agenda.[17]
In December 2024, Tchiani accused France and Nigeria of colluding with rebel groups to destabilize the Nigerien government, as well as accusing Nigeria of sabotaging the oil pipeline to Benin. Nigeria denied these allegations.[18]
In January 2025, according to the World Health Organization, Niger became the first African country and the fifth country worldwide to eradicate onchocerciasis (a goal it had already been working towards for several years prior to the junta's takeover).[19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Niger coup: Abdourahmane Tchiani declares himself leader". BBC. 28 July 2023. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Omar Tchiani: Who is the General spearheading Niger's coup?". APA. 26 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Tchima Illa Issoufou; Lucy Fleming (28 July 2023). "Niger coup: President Mohamed Bazoum in good health, says France". BBC. Niamey. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ Aksar, Moussa; Balima, Boureima (27 July 2023). "Niger soldiers say President Bazoum's government has been removed". Reuters. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Who is Omar Tchiani, the suspected brain behind Niger coup?". Aljazeera. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ a b c "Niger's coup leader General Tchiani: The ex-UN peacekeeper who seized power". BBC. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ a b Daniel, Serge (28 July 2023). "Le général Tchiani, nouvel homme fort du Niger à l'épreuve du pouvoir" [General Tchiani, Niger's new strongman put to the test of power]. RFI (in French). Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Moussa Aksar; Emelia Sithole-Matarise (29 July 2023). "Who is Niger's new leader, Abdourahamane Tiani?". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Five Things We Know About Niger's New Military Leader". Bloomberg.com. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ "Niger's president vows democracy will prevail after mutinous soldiers detain him and declare a coup". AP News. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Niger army general declares himself country's new leader". Gulf News. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Niger's General Abdourahamane Tchiani declared new leader following coup (state TV)". France 24. 28 July 2023. Archived from the original on 29 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Niger general Tchiani named head of transitional government after coup". Al Jazeera. 28 July 2023. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Niger coup leader proposes a three-year transition of power". Al Jazeera. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ Berriault, Lea (18 September 2023). "Niger at the heart of the Sahel crisis". GIS Reports. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Elidad, Addo (19 February 2024). "Shifting Sands: The Sahel's Pivot from Paris to Moscow". The Euroculturer. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ Powelton, Frédéric (13 June 2024). "Portrait d'un président : Abdourahamane Tchiani du Niger". Sahel Intelligence. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ Akinpelu, Yusuf (27 December 2024). "Nigeria denies colluding with France to destabilise Niger". BBC. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
- ^ "WHO verifies Niger as the first country in the African Region to eliminate onchocerciasis". World Health Organization. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
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