Niger’s former President Mohamed Bazoum is currently being held by the country’s military junta. He was ousted by the army in July, as West Africa faces a series of coups. Niger’s military rulers said they had thwarted an attempt by former President Mohamed Bazoum to escape their custody on Thursday. Others helped Bazoum try to […]
Tag: Niger
Washington, DC — For two months after the coup in Niger in August, 2023, the Biden administration refused to declare that a “coup” had taken place. They did this because using the word would activate US laws requiring the cut off of all security cooperation, development assistance, and economic support. They also hoped that they […]
Niger reduced its projected spending for 2023 by 40 per cent as a result of international sanctions imposed after the military overthrew the government in a coup in July 2023, Reuters reports. The announcement stated that the budget for this year, which was originally estimated to be $5.3 billion (3.29 trillion CFA francs) had been […]
Harare — French military convoys started leaving bases in the Niger’s southwest, further undermining France’s standing in the conflict-torn Sahel region. This comes after French President, Emmanuel Macron, declared the troops’ departure at the end of September, after the Niger generals demanded their evacuation. Pick-up vehicles and armored personnel carriers filled with French soldiers crossed […]
Harare — Algeria declared that it is postponing its efforts to mediate an end to the political turmoil in neighbouring Niger, which is being led by a junta after a coup. The military took control of the country of West Africa more than two months ago after ousting Mohamed Bazoum, the country’s elected president. Algeria […]
Harare — Niger reduced its projected spending for 2023 by 40% as a result of international sanctions imposed after the military overthrew the government in a coup in July, 2023, Reuters reports. The announcement stated that the budget for this year, which was originally estimated to be U.S.$5.3 billion (3.29 trillion CFA francs) had been […]
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has rejected overtures by the head of the military junta Niger Republic, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, to have direct access and discussion with him. This came amidst renewed efforts to resolve the crisis in the West African country According to an online platform, Empowered Newswire, diplomatic sources said that consenting to such […]
Port Sudan / Khartoum — Sudan’s acting Foreign Affairs Minister Ali El Sadig met his Nigerien counterpart Bakary Sangaré in New York on Monday to discuss security collaboration between the two countries. Clashes continued between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) across Khartoum state. The Sudanese FA Ministry reported […]
Harare — The French ambassador to Niger Sylvain Itte, left the country, barely a month after the military government had ordered his expulsion, Reuters reports. Itte’s departure also comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron announced the diplomat’s departure along with the withdrawal of French forces from the country. Relations with France, Niger’s former colonial power, […]
The United States has said it will “evaluate” its next steps on the crisis in Niger after France announced a full troop withdrawal by the end of 2023, as demanded by the as demanded by the military junta in Niamey. As it stands, France currently holds a force of 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as […]
Niger, which reopened airspace at the start of September, says it welcomes all commercial flights except for French planes or flights chartered by French companies. Hours before France announced it was withdrawing its ambassadors and troops from Niger, the country’s military rulers said that its airspace was closed to French aircraft. Niger’s airspace “is open […]
Harare — The Burkinabe parliament gave the go-ahead for Captain Ibrahim Traore to send troops to neighboring Niger in response to a potential foreign military intervention to reinstate ousted leader Mohamed Bazoum, The North Africa Post reports. The proposition, which was approved by all 71 legislators, will have a three-month renewable mandate beginning on the […]
Three West African countries ruled by military juntas have signed a mutual defense pact. Mali and Burkina Faso had previously promised to come to Niger’s aid in the event of an attack. Military juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed a security pact on Saturday promising to help each other in the event of […]
Niger’s coup leaders have tried to expel France’s ambassador, but Paris says it doesn’t recognize their authority to order him out. Macron said on TV he was “literally” a “hostage,” stuck in the French Embassy in Niamey. President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France’s envoy to Niger was living like a hostage in the […]
Harare — The U.S. resumed flying drones and other aircraft out of Niger’s air bases, according to the commander of the Air Forces in Europe and Africa, Al Jazeera reports. This comes more than a month after a coup put an end to the operations of more than a thousand U.S. forces stationed in the West […]
IN SHORT: Niger’s coup leaders did reportedly ask Russia’s Wagner mercenaries help them hold on to power. But a video circulating online with the claim it shows a planeload of Wagner soldiers landing in Niger in 2023 is 17 years old. A grainy video of a large plane descending over a dusty city has been […]
Harare — Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Mali’s acting president, Assimi Goita, on the telephone, discussing issues like counter-terrorism measures and the situation in Niger, Mali’s neighbor, the Kremlin is reported to have said. The two leaders, according to Reuters, agreed that diplomatic tactics are the best way to end the crisis in Niger, where […]
The leaders of Russia and Mali have agreed the political crisis in Niger should be resolved using diplmoacy and not force. Meanwhile France has rejected accusations by Niger’s coup leaders that it’s planning a military intervention. The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin and interim Malian leader Assimi Goita had talked by telephone at Bamako’s request. […]