Niger’s Head of State, General Tiani, Visits Lomé for Talks with Togolese President Gnassingbé

Ouagadougou – Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, the Head of State of Niger, embarked on a working and friendship visit to Lomé this Friday to meet with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé. The visit marks a significant diplomatic engagement, as reported by official sources to AIB.

According to Burkina Information Agency, Niger’s official information agency, General Tiani is accompanied by several members of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) and certain members of the Transitional Government. This trip comes amidst Niger’s ongoing efforts to strengthen ties within the Sahel region. Previously, on November 23, General Tiani visited Bamako and Ouagadougou to discuss joint defense strategies with counterparts from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a coalition formed to counter terrorist threats and other destabilizing forces in the Sahel Zone.

This visit to Lomé is General Tiani’s first outside the AES zone since assuming power in Niger in July 2023. The meeting with President Gnassingbé is particularly noteworthy, given Togo’s reserved stance on the ECOWAS-proposed military intervention to reinstall the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum. The Niamey authorities have requested President Gnassingbé to act as a mediator in the ongoing crisis between Niger and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Since the events of July 26, which led to General Tiani’s rise to power, Niger has faced sanctions imposed by ECOWAS. This visit to Lomé is seen as a critical step in addressing the tensions and seeking regional support and mediation.