Niger's rebel-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine has made a working visit to Equatorial Guinea, where he met with the country's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, Niger's national television RTN reported.
Prior to the visit, the prime minister stopped in Chad, where he met with his Chadian counterpart, Saleh Kebzabo.
"Lamine Zeine made a 24-hour working visit to Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The delegation was received by the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema. The meeting took place during a working session at the presidential palace," the TV station said.
According to the report, the Prime Minister was accompanied by the Minister of Defense of Niger Salifou Modi and the Chief of Staff of the country's Armed Forces Moussa Salau Barmou.
Equatorial Guinea is a state in Central Africa that borders Cameroon and Gabon, where the military, led by General Brice Oligui Nguema, seized power on Wednesday and ousted the country's president, Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Earlier in August, Lamine Zeine visited Chad to discuss initiatives by the Chadian leadership to address the situation in his country.
In late July, Niger's military announced that President Mohamed Bazoum had been deposed, and the borders closed and a nationwide curfew imposed (the latter has been canceled in August). The commander of the presidential guard, General Abdurahmane Tchiani, appeared on Niger's state television as the head of the so-called National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), formed by the coup leaders.
Leaders of most countries and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the coup. In early August, ECOWAS chiefs of staff held an emergency meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, and adopted a contingency plan for military intervention in Niger.