The leader of the military junta of Niger, General Abdourahmane Tchiani, has removed General Moussa Salaou Barmou from his position as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces this Friday, just two weeks after the failed coup attempt in Niamey, quelled by the Nigerien military with the support of the Russian Africa Corps.
In place of Salaou Barmou, Tchiani has appointed General Mahaman Sani Kiaou, as reported by the Ministry of Defense of Niger in a statement released by the state news agency (ANP).
The departure of General Salaou Barmou --a key figure in the coup d'état of July 26, 2023, and a prominent member of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP)-- constitutes the most significant change in the Nigerien military leadership since Tchiani took power.
Although the official note does not detail the reasons for the change, the measure comes just days after the serious events that occurred on August 28 and 29 in Niamey, when the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), of which Niger is a part, declared on Sunday that the mutiny that began early Saturday morning in the capital was "frustrated"; a "coup attempt," according to statements from Nigerien authorities.
The newly appointed Chief of Staff, General Sani Kiaou, also comes from the Chief of Staff of the Army and has an extensive background in Special Forces units.