The coup leaders in Niger announced the appointment of Ali Al-Amin Zeyn as the new prime minister, in a statement read on national television, while the international community seeks to restore constitutional order in the country. So who is Ali Al-Amin Zeyn?
Zeyn was born in 1965 in Zinder (southern Niger), the second largest city by population in the country. He joined the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 1991 after studying at the National School of Administration in Niamey. He is also a graduate of the Center for Financial, Economic, and Banking Studies in Marseille and Paris I University.
He served as the African Development Bank’s representative in Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, and Gabon. During the presidency of the former leader Mamadou Tandja, he was appointed Minister of Finance in 2002 to address a chaotic economic and financial situation. Zeyn held the position of Minister of Finance until Tandja was overthrown in a coup in 2010 led by military leader Salou Djibo, prior to organizing presidential elections won by Mahamadou Issoufou, the predecessor of Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted from power on July 26th of this year.
