August 09, (THEWILL) – A former rebel leader in Niger, Rhissa Ag Boula, has created a political movement, Council of Resistance for the Republic (CRR), to restore ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum, to power.
In a statement seen on Wednesday by THEWILL, Rhissa said the aim is to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been in detention at his residence since he was sacked by his Presidential Guardon in July 26 coup.
The CRR supports regional bloc the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and any other international actors seeking to restore constitutional order in Niger, according to the statement.
A CRR member said several Nigerien political figures had joined the group but could not make their allegiance public for safety reasons.
The launch of the CRR comes as diplomatic efforts to reverse the coup appeared stalled after the junta rejected the latest diplomatic mission and the army governments of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, which back the armed takeover, appealed to the United Nations to prevent any military intervention.
Niger’s coup leaders denied entry to African and UN envoys on Tuesday, resisting pressure to negotiate ahead of an ECOWAS summit on Thursday in Abuja.
However, a statement issued by Rhissa on Wednesday reads:
