During a meeting with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, the head of the rebel-formed government of Niger, Ali Lamine Zeine, expressed his willingness to engage in further dialogue to address the ongoing crisis. He emphasized the importance of respecting Niger's sovereignty during this process. Zeine shared these remarks with journalists following his meeting with the Chadian president.
"We arrived with a message from Niger's head of state, General Abdourahamane Tchian, in which he extends his solidarity and urges all of us to reaffirm the spirit of strong neighborly relations and brotherhood between Chad and Niger," Zeine stated, as reported by RFI radio.
He further elaborated to the Chadian president on the nuances of the "transition process" taking place in his country and "reiterated the commitment to maintain an open and constructive dialogue with all stakeholders." Concurrently, he underscored the significance of upholding Niger's sovereignty.
"We must make it clear: this is a sovereign nation. We need to communicate this message to all our partners who comprehend it. We are not isolating ourselves. And our determination to make progress is resolute," Zeine stated.
Zeine's visit to N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, took place on Tuesday, during which he engaged in discussions with Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo before his meeting with the Chadian head of state. Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno had visited Niger just five days after the coup took place, where he met with deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and rebel leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani. Prior to this, President Deby had met with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), on July 30.
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Based on materials from TASS