France is suspending “all its development aid and budget support actions” in Niger after the military coup against President-elect Mohamed Bazoum, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. Paris “demands the return without delay to the Nigerien constitutional order, around President Bazoum, elected by the Nigeriens”, reaffirms the ministry in a press release.
Located in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is a vast desert territory with a population of some 20 million inhabitants, with one of the highest demographic growth in the world.
In 2022, French official development assistance for Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world, amounted to 120 million euros. A slightly higher amount was so far scheduled for 2023, but will therefore not be delivered to the country, according to the Quai d’Orsay.
French President Emmanuel Macron, traveling in Papua New Guinea, on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms the military coup” in Niger, “dangerous” for the region, and called for “the liberation” of the President Bazoum.
Niger was one of France’s last allies in the Sahel, a region plagued by instability, precariousness and jihadist attacks. France, which ended the anti-terrorist operation Barkhane and withdrew from Mali under pressure from the Bamako junta, currently has 1,500 soldiers deployed in Niger who have so far operated jointly with the Nigerien army.
The coup in Niamey is the third in this area since 2020, after the arrival of soldiers in power in Mali and Burkina Faso.
