What is happening in Niger? Coup, consequences, evacuations, Russian influence and the interest of the West

Niger occupies a prominent role in the news around the world in recent days after a week ago the Presidential Guard, supported by the Armed Forces of the African country, announced live on national television the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoun in a coup of State. A week later and just as it celebrates its independence day, uncertainty continues in the country, where Western nations, including Spain, are already evacuating their civilians.

Located in a region of special instability like the Sahel, what makes the coup in Niger news of special importance on the international scene?

Niger, an enclave of the Sahel between the desert and the savannah

Niger is a country in northwest Africa, located in the middle of the Sahel region (which in Arabic means “the coast”), made up of parts of Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Niger itself. A territory that crosses the African continent from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and that is a transition zone between the sand dunes of the Sahara and the extensive meadows of the Sudanese savannah.

The Sahel region is an area of particular instability: since 2020 there have been six coups in the area, the most recent being Mali and Burkina Faso, neighbors of Niger and currently governed by a military junta.. The violence and extremism of terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram or Al Qaeda, droughts and famines, the desertification of the area and overpopulation have contributed decisively to the instability of the Sahel region.. A circumstance from which Niger seemed to be the exception (at least politically) in recent years.

An exception among the instability of the Sahel

Since 1960, when Niger gained its independence from France, the country has lived in constant instability in line with the area. Several coups d'état, added to the economic situation (with two thirds of its population below the poverty line and being one of the most disadvantaged economies in Africa) place it, according to the United Nations Development Index, as the third country poorest in the world by 2022.

However, in 2021 presidential elections were held, in which Mohamed Bazoum, of the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism, was victorious and replaced Mahamadou Issoufou, who has been the country's president since 2011.. It was the first democratic succession of a leader for the first time in the history of independent Niger. An event that marked the beginning of a (brief) period of stability and that invited optimism for Niger as an exception in the instability of the Sahel. Just a few months ago, on a visit to the country, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken praised the country as an “extraordinary example of resilience, democracy and cooperation.”

A coup “to fight terrorism”

Last Wednesday, members of the Presidential Guard announced during a national television broadcast the removal of the president, the suspension of the institutions and the closure of land and air borders.. The military took command under the self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP), headed by General Abdourahamane Tiani.

The new military junta headed by Tiani argues that a military government is the only way to fight the terrorism that violent Islamist groups exercise against the country, as well as against its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, badly hit by the terrorist threat.. Tiani, who in his speech described President Bazoun as an “incoherent and ineffective” leader, defends military action against the “continuous deterioration of the security situation” caused by terrorism.

An essential ally for the West

In recent years, Niger had become one of the West's main allies in the Sahel region for several reasons:

Russia's influence in Africa

Just a few days ago, a Russian-African summit was held in St. Petersburg. In it, Russia has signed military agreements with more than 40 African countries, according to Europa Press. In fact, Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, congratulated the leaders of Niger's military junta after their coup.

A country marked by poverty despite its resources

Despite its mineral resources, the standard of living for Nigeriens is one of the lowest in the world.. Profits from the sale of uranium flow to few, so Niger's economy is based on herding and agriculture. And that in a country marked by desertification, where barely 4% of the territory is suitable for cultivation, makes it a country very vulnerable to famine, according to the BBC.

For this reason, many Nigeriens have celebrated the coup and their support for the CNSP and have even cheered Russia and Putin in front of the French embassy in the capital, Niamey.. Many of them wave the Russian flag.

Evacuations before a possible war

The situation in Niger is uncertain after the coup. Europe and the United States have condemned the assault on power and have called for the restitution of Bazmoun, who continues to be detained, and in France, President Emmanuel Macron assured that “he will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests.”. This possible intervention could come from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which last Sunday gave the junta a period of one week to restore the Bazoum government, without ruling out military actions.

In any case, Western countries have begun to evacuate their citizens from the African country in the face of uncertainty and growing tension.. Spain, in fact, has begun to evacuate its residents in the country today. The first have arrived in our country today, as announced by the Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares.