A former politician and rebel leader in Niger has started a movement opposing the military government that seized control in a coup on July 26.
This is the first indication of internal opposition to army rule in the crucial Sahel nation.
Rhissa Ag Boula stated in a statement released on Wednesday that the goal of his newly formed Council of Resistance for the Republic (CRR) is to restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held captive at his home since the coup.
“Niger is the victim of a tragedy orchestrated by people charged with protecting it,” according to the statement.
In a statement, Ag Boula stated that it would make itself readily available to ECOWAS for any positive purpose and that it supports the organization as well as any other foreign actors attempting to restore constitutional order in Niger.
Another CRR member reported that some political figures from Niger had joined the organization but were unable to publicly declare their support due to safety concerns.
In the 1990s and 2000s, Ag Boula was a key figure in Tuareg uprisings, a nomadic ethnic group living in the desert north of Niger. He became absorbed into the administration under Bazoum and Mahamadou Issoufou, like many other ex-rebels.
