Niger coup leader Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani has promised to return the country to civilian rule in three years time.
Gen Tchiani made the announcement after meeting mediators from the West African regional bloc ECOWAS in the capital, Niamey.
ECOWAS is considering using military intervention to reverse the July 26 coup which kicked President Mohamed Bazoum out of office should talks fail.
But Gen Tchiani is unfazed by the threats. He argued that Niger did not want a war but would defend itself against any foreign intervention.
The junta head warned in his televised address on Saturday evening that ‘If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think’.
According to reports, thousands of men stormed a stadium in Niamey on Saturday to register for a volunteer force to defend the nation in case of any foreign invasion but the registration process was halted due to overcrowding.
SOURCE: Kasatintin.com
