Niger frees ex-minister after nearly a year in detention

Niger flag

Niamey –  Niger’s former oil minister, arrested by the country’s junta nearly a year ago, was released Tuesday, his family and a former aide told AFP.

“Minister Mahaman Moustapha Barke was indeed released this Tuesday,” a family member said, requesting anonymity for security reasons. A former aide to Barke also confirmed his release “on Tuesday morning”.

In 2023, Barke was appointed minister by the military junta that had seized power in a coup just weeks earlier.

The reasons for his detention as well as the conditions of his release remain unknown.

Niger’s military rulers, who are regularly accused of cracking down on opposition, media, and dissent, have never commented on the matter.

Nigerien authorities on Tuesday announced the appointment of Hamadou Tinni as the new oil minister, replacing Sahabi Oumarou, who had succeeded Barke in 2024.

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Source: AFP

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