The name of Nigerian General Omar Tiani (also known as Abdurrahman Tiani) rose to prominence overnight after Colonel Amadou Abdurrahman of the Niger army announced on national television on Friday that the presidential guard chief, General Abdurrahman Tiani, is now the ruler of the country. President Mohamed Bazoum has been detained in his palace, and there has been no news about his whereabouts or fate, despite France's strong condemnation of the move and the welcome from the Wagner Group, which offered its services. Upon declaring himself the country’s caretaker, Tiani justified the coup by citing the deteriorating security situation. He held the position of commander of the Nigerien presidential guard and had been in conflict with the president.
#### Personal Biography
According to reports from the African news agency, Tiani hails from the Tillabéri region, a major recruitment area for the Nigerien army in the western part of the country. In 2015, he took command of the presidential guard and was a close ally of then-President Mahamadou Issoufou. He led the thwarting of a coup attempt in 2021 when a military unit tried to seize the presidential palace days before Issoufou stepped down to make way for his democratically elected successor, Mohamed Bazoum, who kept Tiani in his position.
Tiani is known as the enigmatic head of the presidential guard. His name has echoed since the announcement last Wednesday of a "change in the presidential guard." Even as the situation in Niamey developed hours after the coup attempt emerged, information about General Tiani is nearly nonexistent. He is one of the close aides of former President Mahamadou Issoufou and has led the elite corps of the Nigerien army responsible for the security of the head of state since 2015.
While the world is unaware of the reasons behind the rebellion, several sources have mentioned the current head of state’s desire to reorganize his security apparatus, which involves removing his reliance on General Tiani and his presidential guard. Two years ago, a false decree circulated on social media proposing his replacement with General Mohamed Tomba. Meanwhile, negotiations between the rebels and President Bazoum have thus far failed.
The coup plotters announced late Wednesday on national television that they had carried out a coup, the constitution was suspended, a curfew imposed, and state institutions closed. This unit has historically been a launchpad for some officers to seize power.
#### Turbulent Political Past
Since its independence, Niger has experienced four coups and multiple attempts to seize power. Hamani Diori, the country's first president, was the first victim. As the president of a landlocked country in West Africa in 1960, he was ousted on April 15, 1974, by Major Seyni Kountché. He faced several coup attempts in 1975, 1976, and 1983. He died from a brain tumor, and was replaced in 1987 by his chief of staff, Ali Saïb.
Democracy returned to Niger in 1991 following a national conference that appointed a civilian government. Tiani repeatedly justified his estrangement from the president due to a "political discourse" that sought to convince people that "everything is fine" while there is "the harsh reality with death, displacement, humiliation, and frustration." He indicated that "the current security approach has not allowed for the country's security despite the significant sacrifices made by the people of Niger and the tangible support from our external partners."
This senior and reserved officer has led the presidential guard since his appointment in 2011 by Mahamadou Issoufou, the predecessor of Mohamed Bazoum. After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has become the third country in the Sahel region to witness a coup since 2020, amid attacks from groups affiliated with ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
