US partially suspends aid to Niger until president is restored

The United States is suspending some of its aid programmes to Niger, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced, after the country's elected president was overthrown and a military council declared itself in charge.

Supporters of Niger's junta gather for a protest called to push back against foreign interference, in Niamey on 3 August 2023. © Sam Mednick / AP

"The US government is pausing certain foreign assistance programmes benefiting the government of Niger," Blinken said in a statement on Friday, without specifying which.

However, "life-saving humanitarian and food assistance will continue" and the US would still carry out diplomatic and security operations to protect its personnel in the country, he said.

France suspended all development aid to Niger last weekend following the coup against President Mohamed Bazoum. The European Union and several other countries have also put their support on hold. 

"The provision of US assistance to the government of Niger depends on democratic governance and respect for constitutional order," Blinken said.

"We remain committed to supporting the people of Niger to help them preserve their hard-earned democracy and we reiterate our call for the immediate restoration of Niger's democratically elected government."

The provision of United States assistance to the government of Niger depends on democratic governance and respect for constitutional order. We are pausing certain foreign assistance programs, and will continue to review our assistance as the situation evolves.

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 4, 2023

Millions of dollars

One of the poorest countries in the world, Niger receives close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank.

The US gave the country $200 million in 2022 and has sent $130 million this fiscal year so far. 

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Since 2012, the various US administrations have spent more than half a billion dollars training and equipping the military in Niger.

Around 1,000 American soldiers are stationed there, mainly at the Agadez air base, built and paid for by the US and used to conduct drone operations. 

Threat of intervention

Meanwhile West Africa's regional bloc said its military chiefs had agreed on a plan for a possible intervention in Niger. 

The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has given the junta until Sunday to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum or face the potential use of force.

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"All the elements that will go into any eventual intervention have been worked out," Ecowas commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah said after emergency talks between the bloc's defence chiefs ended on Friday.

That includes "the resources needed, and including the how and when we are going to deploy the force", he added.

"We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message clearly transmitted to them [the junta] that we are giving them every opportunity to reverse what they have done," Musah said.

(with AFP)