Niger Seeks To Remove Foreign Military Bases

 

Niger is taking a different path in regards to its foreign and domestic policy. The military government wants to remove foreign military bases from the country.  The government has ordered the US and France to move its soldiers out of the country. France was the main country that has maintained influence in Niger since its independence in 1960. France maintained an estimated 1,500 troops in Niger. The United States of America has a total 1,100. This means that 2,600 foreign soldiers are active in Niger. Italy and the European Union have a smaller force in the Sahel nation. the justification for this is to provide support to Niger fighting terrorist organizations active in the region. The European presence is not reducing terrorism, rather it escalates violence. The ineffective methods of drones and targeted bombings extends warfare. Africa does not need assistance fighting wars. African nations have experience fighting insurgencies, civil wars, and insurrections. Algeria, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad,  Nigeria, Burundi, and Rwanda have fought conflicts like this. Uganda overtime was able to limit the Lord's Resistance Army's ability to conduct military operations. It remains unknown what military leader Abdourahamane Tchiani will do to remove terrorist organizations or deal with the fallout from destabilization in North Africa. Either the military  junta will seek an anti-neocolonial position or be another authoritarian regime. The military dictatorships of the past were products of Cold War foreign policy. Support for them was as a means of France and the UK to maintain control of their former colonies. Niger is undergoing a major foreign policy shift away from France and the US.   

Mali, Burkina Faso , And Niger Form An Alliance

 

A major change is coming to the Sahel region. Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are forming a closer alliance. The new alliance will encompass both security and economic agreements. The security security for three countries remains a concern. Terrorist organizations, interference from France, and ECOWAS possibly doing military operations against these governments are the concerns. The Alliance of Sahel States is going into effect. The pact is designed to bring stability to a region in turmoil for 13 years. The Liptako-Gourma region  is where Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger's borders meet. The area has been a place in which multiple armed groups are active. The current condition in the Sahel was blowback from the Arab Spring in North Africa and NATO's attack on Libya. France used the disorder to further its influence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The alliance between these three nations is also going to be economic. A new currency is in the process of being developed  among military governments. The intent appears to be to break away from a currency connected to the euro. The West African CFA franc in use in the region is a symbol of dependency of France. The policies suggested are establishing a joint stabilization fund and creation of an investment bank. All three countries also want to further development efforts. The success of this new alliance depends on the leaders, proper coordination, and the defeat of external enemies. The new alliance has a potential to be a competitor to ECOWAS, if the new currency spreads through out the continent. 

Niger Under Threat Of Military Intervention

 

The military coup in Niger has created a regional crisis. Now Niger faces threats of military intervention. ECOWAS stated that it will invade Niger if diplomatic efforts fail. At the moment a stand by force is being made ready for a military operation. This is not the first time ECOWAS invaded another state. Gambia was subject to invasion when President Yahya Jammeh refused to give up power. What this military operation would be is to restore President Mohamad Bazoum to office. France also seeks to strike Niger. America's longtime involvement in the country has been known. Interfering in the internal matters of another state will cause complications. A war in Niger will certainly cause challenges for Algeria, Libya. and Nigeria. Nigerians would not tolerate a occupying force in their country. ECOWAS cites that intervention in Liberia and Gambia was a success. However, Niger is a different situation. The African Union appears to prefer a diplomatic approach. Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Cape Verde might come to the aid of Niger. These countries have military governments and came to power around the late 2010s to 2020s. ECOWAS would not be fighting one country, but multiple West African states. Talks of intervention only make the military junta more popular in Niger. Since the treason charge of President Mohamad Bazoum, more international condemnation came. The United Nations and European Union  expressed concern about his condition. The motives of the major world powers are to have more influence in Africa and gain more of its natural resources. Fighting terrorism or restoring constitutional order are just excuses to invade. The Nigerians  should be the ones to determine who leads the country. Instead ECOWAS and France are going to decide that matter.