Niger

Turkey

Economics

Energy

Military & Security

Niger and Turkey agreed to bolster bilateral cooperation in a range of fields including energy and defense after Nigerien junta leader Abdourahmane Tchiani welcomed a high-profile Turkish delegation, including Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler and director of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalin, Reuters reported on July 18.

Niger, Turkey: Governments Vow to Strengthen Defense, Energy Cooperation   

Benin

Burkina Faso

Cote d'Ivoire

Mali

France

Politics

Burkinabe junta leader Ibrahim Traore accused Cote d'Ivoire and Benin of attempting to destabilize Burkina Faso in coordination with France, Le Monde reported on July 11.

West Africa: Burkina Faso Accuses Cote d’Ivoire and Benin of Destabilization Attempts

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso signed a trilateral treaty establishing the Confederation of Sahelian States, or CSS, on July 6, Radio France Internationale reported on July 8.

West Africa: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Sign Confederation Treaty, Confirm Departure From ECOWAS 

Russia

Niger revoked France's state-owned uranium miner Orano's exploitation rights at the Imouraren mine, Radio France Internationale reported June 20. 

Niger: Junta Revokes Uranium Mining Licence From France's Orano 

An armed group opposed to the Niger junta, the Patriotic Liberation Front (FPL), has claimed responsibility for a June 16 attack on the nearly 2,000 km crude oil pipeline linking Niger's Agadem oil field to Benin's coast, Radio France Internationale reported June 18.

Niger: Armed Group Destroys Section of Oil Pipeline, Threatens More Attacks

Senegal

China

Niger issued an ultimatum to Benin to release five individuals detained by Beninese authorities after they entered the oil terminal of Seme, where the Niger-Benin pipeline terminates, Radio France Internationale reported on June 7.

Niger, Benin: Benin Arrests Five Nigeriens Attempting To Infiltrate Oil Terminal

Germany

The German defense ministry announced a new temporary agreement with Niger allowing it to extend the operation of its military air transport hub in Niamey beyond May 31, Reuters reported on May 28.

Niger, Germany: Berlin To Maintain Military Base in Niger Under Temporary Agreement

Turkish private military company SADAT entered talks with an unnamed Sahelian state to strengthen the security of the country's presidential palace, Radio France Internationale reported on May 21.

Sahel: Turkish Private Military Company SADAT Expanding Operations in the Sahel

Media

United States

Podcasts

What are Niger's security options going forward?

Essential Geopolitics: The Outlook for Niger's Security Landscape

Assessments

Iran

Mohamed Toumba (R), one of the generals who ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023, and military junta spokesperson Amadou Abdramane (L) look on in Niamey, Niger, on Sept. 4, 2023. 

As U.S. troops likely prepare to leave Niger, alternative partners ready themselves to fill the void.

What's Next for Niger After the Termination of Defense Cooperation With the U.S.?

Sub-Saharan Africa

A staff member walks past a stage before a press conference at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, on Feb. 27, 2023. 

The exit will worsen all three countries' economic outlook, especially if they decide to also leave the West African Economic and Monetary Union, which would likely fuel jihadist activity in the Sahel.

What Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso's Exit From ECOWAS Means for West Africa

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In this scorecard, we take a critical look at our successes and slip-ups in forecasting geopolitical events over the past year.

Grading Our 2023 Annual Forecast

Graphics

A general view of a military crest of the French army in Niamey, Niger, on July 15, 2022.

French and U.N. troop withdrawals from the Sahel will open the door to jihadist attacks and external actors.

The Sahel's Security Environment Amid French and U.N. Troop Withdrawals

Snapshots

Central African Republic

Gabon

Protesters in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, wave Russian and Burkinabe flags on Oct. 4, 2022. 

Cyber

Many of the drivers that led to the recent coups in the Sahel are present in other African countries, granting Russian-sponsored influence operations more inroads.

Africa's Instability Creates Fertile Ground for Russian Disinformation

Cameroon

Chad

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Equatorial Guinea

Republic of the Congo

People holding Gabon national flags celebrate in Libreville on August 30, 2023, after a group of military officers announced they were ''putting an end'' to President Ali Bongo Ondimba's regime. 

Rampant insecurity could precipitate the collapse of more Sahelian governments, while succession crises and patronage politics could do the same for Central Africa's dynastic leaders.

Assessing the Risk of Future African Coups, Part 1: The Sahel and Central Africa

Nigeria

Togo

French soldiers of the Barkhane force patrol the streets of Timbuktu, Mali, on Dec. 5, 2021.

In the wake of Niger's coup, France will be compelled to revamp its security strategy in the Sahel and West Africa at large.

What the Niger Crisis Means for France's Counterterrorism Strategy in Africa

A political demonstration on June 20, 2023, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

U.S.-China Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Argentine Primary Elections, the Possible ECOWAS Intervention in Niger

Protesters hold placards denouncing ECOWAS on Aug. 3, 2023, in Niamey, Niger. While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

While an intervention probably would topple the Nigerien junta, it could cause a regional conflict, boost jihadists and lead to a weak Nigerian civilian regime.

How Might an ECOWAS Military Intervention Take Shape in Niger?

Brazil

Saudi Arabia

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host a summit on the Amazon on Aug. 7-8 in an effort to draft a common policy for the first time ever for countries with territory in the Amazon rainforest.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia, Brazil Hosts an Amazon Summit

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who also serves as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), participates in an emergency ECOWAS meeting on July 30, 2023, following the recent coup in Niger.

Despite its leaders' desire to set a precedent against military takeovers, the 15-nation African bloc will struggle to follow through on its threat to forcefully remove Niger's new junta. 

Gauging the Likelihood of a Post-Coup ECOWAS Intervention in Niger

Niger is a landlocked Sahelian state in West Africa that is surrounded by Algeria and Libya to the north, Chad to the east, Nigeria and Benin to the South and Burkina Faso and Mali to the west.     Niger's greatest geographic challenge is its landlocked status in the Sahel, the transition zone between the Sahara Desert and the savannahs of West Africa. Niger's lack of immediate coastal access and the global markets beyond increases the cost of imports and exports there. Moreover, it forces the country to rely on costly or lacking infrastructure and to manage relations with neighboring countries carefully to ensure its trade opportunities are not cut off.    The Sahel region has often been home to significant instability. Mali, Niger's neighbor to the west, remains the epicenter of regional militancy thanks to its weak government, internal tensions and a host of other issues. Niger, for its part, has also experienced cycles of rebellion but has largely maintained a somewhat stable, if weak and porous, security environment in recent years.     Niger's geographic position in the impoverished and unstable Sahel has done it no favors regarding infrastructure or economic development. In the years ahead, rapid population growth and strained resources will become even more pressing, causing Niger to struggle as it grapples with these problems for the foreseeable future. 

SITUATION REPORTS

Niger, Turkey: Governments Vow to Strengthen Defense, Energy Cooperation

West Africa: Burkina Faso Accuses Cote d’Ivoire and Benin of Destabilization Attempts

West Africa: Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Sign Confederation Treaty, Confirm Departure From ECOWAS

Niger: Junta Revokes Uranium Mining Licence From France's Orano

Niger: Armed Group Destroys Section of Oil Pipeline, Threatens More Attacks

Niger, Benin: Benin Arrests Five Nigeriens Attempting To Infiltrate Oil Terminal

Niger, Germany: Berlin To Maintain Military Base in Niger Under Temporary Agreement

Sahel: Turkish Private Military Company SADAT Expanding Operations in the Sahel

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