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Niger’s ruling military junta has ordered the immediate expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from the country, a source told AFP on Wednesday, marking another escalation in its tense relationship with international organizations.
Niger has officially revoked its agreements with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), leading to the departure of some foreign staff from the country, a source confirmed. The organization also shut down its office in the capital, Niamey, on Tuesday, signaling a significant shift in its operational presence in the West African nation.
The Nigerien government has instructed the closure of the Red Cross offices and the immediate expulsion of foreign personnel, according to local media. No justification was given for the decision. The Red Cross, present in Niger since 1990, had been concentrating on delivering aid to those affected by years of jihadist violence from groups linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Following the July 2023 coup, Niger’s military leaders have increasingly championed the cause of “national sovereignty.”
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The relationship between Niger’s junta and France, the former colonial power, remains cold, with the junta instead turning to military counterparts in Burkina Faso and Mali, and increasingly engaging with Russia. In January, Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba stated that the government was taking “crucial steps to ensure the monitoring and oversight” of NGOs and development organizations operating within the country.
“Our investigations have indicated there are many NGOs that are in close association with certain partners that are bringing us war… through their support to the terrorists,” he said.
Niger’s government imposed a ban on the French humanitarian group Acted and the local APBE in November, stripping them of their licenses to operate within the country.
The French NGO had been working in the impoverished country since 2009, notably tending to people displaced by jihadist violence. Since the coup, Niger’s authorities have expelled both the French and US soldiers fighting against the region’s jihadist threat, as well as the French ambassador.
