Niger is sure that "a favorable outcome" will be found, Nigerien Foreign Minister, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, told Sputnik, commenting on the negotiations on the transition terms in the coup-hit country.
"There is a mediation that is led by Togo and Sierra Leone. We had a first meeting, and we will have a second one on January 10, and we are certain that we will find a favorable outcome," he said.
The minister emphasized that national meetings will tell how long the transition in Niger will last.
"But the president has already said that it will not take more than three years," he recalled.
In late August, Niger's coup leader, General Abdrahamane Tiani, vowed to restore civilian rule in the country within three years. Niger's regional authorities supported the military-led transition.
Following the coup, the Niger was subjected to ECOWAS sanctions. The organization closed all borders with Niger, halted the flow of goods, and banned air travel to the country. On December 10, the West African bloc suspended Niger from its decision-making bodies.
"In a very short time, all this will be behind us," the head of diplomacy commented on the issue.
The Nigerien Prime Minister appointed by the coup leaders, Ali Lamine Zeine, called the ECOWAS sanctions "inhumane and unjust."