Who is Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine? Niger coup leaders appoint new transitional PM

Amid uncertainty and chaos in Niger, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine has taken over the role of the transitional prime minister, according to a decree delivered in an address on national television. His appointment comes over a week after mutinous soldiers toppled the country's leadership and President Mohamed Bazoum.

Zeine, who is an economist by profession, was appointed by Niger's caretaker government. The decree was created by  Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the erstwhile commander of the country's presidential guard who has proclaimed himself as the head of the current government. 

All you need to know about the new transitional PM of Niger

58-year-old Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine previously served as the finance minister under Mamadou Tandja, who was the president of Niger between 1999 and 2010 after the West African nation welcomed back civilian rule. Currently, Zeine is the Country Manager of the African Development Bank, according to Anadolu Agency. 

At present, he is responsible for handling operations for the country of Chad. Prior to that, he held the same post in the bank for nations like Ivory Coast and Gabon. With the new role, Zeine is expected to head discussions on the creation of a new government. 

What has been going on in Niger? 

Meanwhile, political turmoil continues to unfold in Niger despite international intervention. On Monday, a top US diplomat said that she was denied permission to meet democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum, who she said was under “virtual house arrest.”

In the wake of the coup, leaders of West Africa's regional bloc have decided to sit down for a meeting later this week to discuss the course of action that is needed, after the junta flouted a deadline to bring the president back to power and shut down the airspace. The meeting has been scheduled for Thursday in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, as per a spokesperson for the ECOWAS bloc, the Associated Press reported.