Niamey (Niger), Jul 28 (AP) Niger state television has declared Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani the leader of mutinous soldiers who detained the democratically elected president in a coup.

Tchiani, who goes by Omar, addressed the nation Friday, two days after the military takeover.

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He said the country needed to change course to avoid “the gradual and inevitable demise” and thus he and others had decided to intervene.

As he spoke, state TV identified him as the leader of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, the group of soldiers who said they staged the takeover. (AP)

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(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)