Niger coup, setback for Sahel devt – German minister

German development minister Svenja Schulze on Tuesday said the Niger coup was “a setback that aggravates the complex development challenges in the country and in the Sahel.”

Svenja announced during a visit to West Africa calling for the immediate release of ousted President Bazoum Mohamed.

“We call for the immediate release of President Bazoum and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger,” Schulze said in a statement on behalf of the Sahel Alliance.

On 26 July 2023, the Presidential Guard in Niger launched a coup and detained President Bazoum and his family.

Senior officers from various branches of the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) formed a junta, named the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP), and announced the seizure of power on a televised broadcast.

Public response varied, with initial demonstrations in support of Bazoum being dispersed by mutinous soldiers, followed by subsequent demonstrations in support of the CNSP.

By July 27, the Nigerien Armed Forces joined the CNSP, citing their intent to avoid lethal confrontation and to safeguard the president and his family.

The coup has largely been condemned internationally, including key stakeholders like the United States, France, the European Union, and ECOWAS.

During a summit in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, ECOWAS considered military intervention and threatened sanctions to pressure the junta to reinstate Bazoum by giving a one-week ultimatum.

The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) imposed immediate sanctions and froze Nigerien state assets.

Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali have declared their support for the Nigerien junta and expressed their refusal to apply any sanctions imposed on Niger.

Burkina Faso and Mali further warned in a joint statement that any military intervention in Niger was a declaration of war against the two countries.

The reactions in support of Niger from the junta-led states have set the stage for a deeper divide and potential break-up of the West African bloc.

The coup’s aftermath brings a high potential for domestic unrest and regional conflict, a surge in militant activities, democratic backsliding and restriction of civil liberties, and severe socio-economic consequences due to sanctions.

The military junta has not consolidated its power grab and faces strong opposition from many international stakeholders.

Bazoum not only enjoys support from the international community but also from a large segment of the population across Niger, with signs of supporters counter-mobilising for mass demonstrations against the junta.