Coups seem to be breaking out across Africa, but the coup in Niger could be particularly troublesome for the US. Few Americans could find the Republic of Niger on a globe and could not tell you why the African nation is important to the US. Nonetheless, Niger has been prominent in the international news because of a coup that toppled the democratically elected president. The country is located in what is known as the Sahel region of north-central Africa and is bordered on the north by Algeria and Libya, with Chad on the east and Mali on the west. To the south are Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso.
Niger’s geographic position in Africa makes it strategically important for the US in its war on jihadist terrorists in the region. It’s also an economic and potential military target for China to gain a more substantial foothold in the region. So, what is the history of this northcentral African nation that would bring it to prominence?
According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook, France put in place in 1922 a colonial administration that lasted until 1960, when Niger became an independent nation with single-party military rule until 1991. At that time, the people, 99% of whom are Muslim, exerted enough political pressure to force General Ali Saibou to hold multi-party elections. Niger has a history of government instability. A democratically elected administration came to power after military coups in 1996, 1999, 2010, and 2011. In February 2021, Mohamed Bazoum became the first president to achieve office peacefully transitioning from one democratically elected leader to another.
Military Junta Seizes Power in Niger
Unfortunately, that did not last long. “Nonetheless, a military junta once again seized power in late July 2023, detaining President Bazoum, and announcing the creation of a National Council for the Salvation of the Homeland,” the CIA narrative explained. Though one of the poorest countries in the world, with little in the way of government services and funding to develop its natural resources, Niger has significant security concerns, including “various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict and terrorism in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria,” the CIA country profile explained.
(Photo by Balima Boureima/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The presence of China in Niger should prompt the Biden administration’s attention. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has established an impressive economic presence in comparison to other trading partners is formidable. The PRC takes 25% of all exports of gold, sesame seeds, uranium, refined petroleum, and onions. Niger’s largest import partner is the PRC at 19%, double the closest other country, France, which sits at only 9%. “Niger, which has Africa’s highest-grade uranium ores, produced 2,020 metric tons of uranium in 2022, about 5% of world mining output, according to the WNA (World Nuclear Association). This was down from 2,991 tons in 2020,” Reuters reported in July.
The coup in Niger was prompted by what the coup leaders claim was the inability of President Bazoum to establish security. “Violent Islamist groups have gained ground by controlling territory and conducting attacks in the tri-border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The mutinous soldiers in Niger have cited this worsening security situation as a reason for their uprising,” Robert Plummer reported for the BBC. Consequently, the mutineers have installed General Abdourahmane Techiani as the head of state for the time being, placing Bazoum under arrest.
The overthrow of the Bazoum government created several problems for the US. American foreign policy in Africa is more likely to be successful when there is stability within and among the African nations. The US State Department, in its Integrated Country Strategy for Niger, states:
“Niger is the largest country in West Africa and is strategically important as a linchpin for stability in the Sahel as well as a reliable counterterrorism partner against ISIS-Greater Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin, Boko Haram, and other regional violent extremist organizations...The Government of Niger has become a more open and active partner with the United States over the past several years…”
The close relationship the State Department had been counting on may be in jeopardy with the uncertainty surrounding the coup leaders’ intentions. Despite the precarious nature of the US-Niger relationship, Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon will join the diplomatic team at the US Embassy in Niamey, Niger’s capital. However, “Due to the current political crisis in Niger, Ambassador FitzGibbon will not formally present credentials,” a State Department press statement explained. “Her diplomatic focus will be to advocate for a diplomatic solution that preserves constitutional order in Niger and for the immediate release of President Bazoum, his family, and all those unlawfully detained.”
Humanitarian Initiatives Are Stopped in Niger
Since the illegal takeover of Niger’s government, the military junta has expanded its “war zone” and has banned UN operations. “On Thursday (August 31), Niger’s interior ministry announced it was stopping UN agencies and other international organizations from working in what it called military operation zones because of the current security situation,” according to Richard Hamilton and Thomas Naadi, writing for the BBC. This prohibition of humanitarian assistance comes as “less than half of Niger’s health facilities are operational,” the BBC dispatch explained. Additionally, Niger has approximately 600,000 refugees from surrounding countries and numbers of internally displaced citizens exceeding 20,000 in hostile living conditions, whose ultimate fate is precarious.
The US recently established two unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) bases in Niger, one in Niamey and the other Agadez, located in central Niger. The drone base at Agadez was reported to set the US taxpayer back $110 million. “Roughly 1,100 US troops are deployed to Niger, which has become an increasingly important partner for counterterrorism operations in Africa,” Jeff Schogol explained for Task and Purpose.
Adding to the troubling nature of the coup is the prospect being reported – again, by the BBC – that “As well as jihadist groups, the Wagner mercenaries, who are active elsewhere in the region, have been seen as exercising a malign influence in Niger. Some supporters of the coup have been seen waving the Russian flag alongside the Niger.” As other geopolitical crises are running their courses worldwide, the Biden foreign policy team cannot take its eyes on the ball anywhere. The developments in Niger should remain a high diplomatic and military operations condition of high interest.
