Niger

United States

Military & Security

Politics

The United States formally declared that the July 26 ousting of Niger’s former President Mohamed Bazoum was a coup, resulting in the suspension of all non-humanitarian assistance including counterterrorism support and military training, AP reported on Oct. 10.

Niger: U.S. Declares Ousting of Bazoum a Coup, Suspends Military Aid and Training

France

Four hundred French soldiers currently stationed in Ouallam, Niger, along the Mali-Niger border are scheduled to depart for Niamey and subsequently head to France, Radio France Internationale Afrique reported on Oct. 5.

Niger, France: France Begins Withdrawing Troops From Niger

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the withdrawal of the 1,500 French troops based in Niger, Jeune Afrique reported on Sept. 24.

Niger: France Announces Withdrawal of French Troops From Niger

Burkina Faso

Mali

The military juntas in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger signed a security pact under which they agreed to help one another in case of a rebellion or external aggression, Reuters reported on Sept. 16.

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Sign Alliance of Sahel States Security Pact

The U.S. military resumed counterterrorism missions in Niger after more than a month of interrupted activities due to the July coup, Voice of America reported on Sept. 13.

Niger: U.S. Resumes Counterterrorism Missions

France opened talks with the Nigerien junta over the withdrawal of French forces from Niger, Le Monde reported on Sept. 4.

Niger: French Military in Talks With Junta Over Withdrawal of Troops

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, the current head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), suggested that Niger's military junta should propose a nine-month transition from military to civilian rule, similar to his own country's transitional period in the late 1990s, Africanews reported on Aug. 31.

Niger: Tinubu Suggests Nine-Month Transition Period to Civilian Rule

The Nigerien junta said French Ambassador Sylvain Itte does not have diplomatic immunity and that it authorized the police to expel him after canceling the visas of Itte and his family members, Reuters reported on Aug. 31.

Niger: Junta Orders Police to Expel French Ambassador

Media

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

Sub-Saharan Africa

Central African Republic

Cote d'Ivoire

Gabon

Russia

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

Assessments

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

Benin

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

Argentina

China

Taiwan

Poland

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

Senegal

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

Ukraine

Pakistan

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

Colombia

Lebanon

A demonstration July 27, 2022, in Niamey, Niger, after a coup. The Economic Community of West African States is expected to discuss the July 26 coup in Niger next week, with French officials saying an extraordinary summit could occur July 30.

Economics

The Weekly Rundown: ECOWAS Considers Its Response to Niger, Drama at Lebanon's Central Bank Deepens

Nigeriens gather to show their support for President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey, Niger, on July 26, 2023, after he was detained by guards earlier in the day. 

A successful military takeover of the civilian government could weaken Niger's ties with France and enable jihadists and countries like Russia to expand their influence in the country.

In Niger, President Bazoum's Detainment Fuels Fears of Another West African Coup

Mauritania

French soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, Mali, on Dec. 4, 2021. 

France’s updated military posture in the African region focuses on supporting national armies, especially Niger’s. But this is unlikely to offset the impact of Paris’ withdrawal from Mali. 

France’s New Approach to the Sahel: Preparing for Sustained Regional Instability

Columns

On Security

Somalia

Iraq

Syria

Yemen

Afghanistan

India

A British soldier leaves the Hombori area aboard a Chinook helicopter on March 28, 2019, during the start of the French Barkhane Force operation in Mali's Gourma region. In the short term, the Taliban victory will provide a significant propaganda victory for global jihadist groups; the long-term outlook for global jihadism is much less certain. 

War, Insurgency & Terrorism

The Fight Against the Islamic State

The Jihadist Wars

In the short term, the Taliban victory will provide a significant propaganda victory for global jihadist groups; the long-term outlook for global jihadism is much less certain.

Jihadist Terrorism After the Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan

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: U.S. Declares Ousting of Bazoum a Coup, Suspends Military Aid and Training

Niger, France: France Begins Withdrawing Troops From Niger

Niger: France Announces Withdrawal of French Troops From Niger

Sahel: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Sign Alliance of Sahel States Security Pact

Niger: U.S. Resumes Counterterrorism Missions

Niger: French Military in Talks With Junta Over Withdrawal of Troops

Niger: Tinubu Suggests Nine-Month Transition Period to Civilian Rule

Niger: Junta Orders Police to Expel French Ambassador

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