Niger's troubles: French withdrawal a further security risk

•  MIMI M TAKAMBOU

President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement on Sunday that France will withdraw its ambassador from Niger along with the French military contingent was met with satisfaction in the country. The military leaders of Niger expressed their approval, extolling it as a significant step towards achieving sovereignty. The junta were not alone in their celebration. Ali Idrissa, the Nigerien coordinator of “Publish What you Pay,” a coalition of civil society organizations which advocates for financial transparency in the extractive industry, hailed the withdrawal as a “victory for the Nigerien people who fought for this.” He emphasized the grassroots character of the movement.

Nigerien activist Maikoul Zodi was keen to point out the unprecedented volte-face by President Macron. “For us this is a clear victory because, a week ago, he [Macron] was saying that only deposed President Mohamed Bazoum had the right to order the withdrawal of French troops. Now the Nigerien people have shown that Niger belongs to Nigeriens,” Zodi told DW.

While there have been several military coups in West Africa in the last couple of years, the situation in Niger carries higher stakes because of the impact not only on the country itself, but also on the Sahel region, and its broader implications for West Africa and transcontinental geopolitics.

Ghanaian political analyst Mutaru Mumuni Muqthtar, executive director for the West Africa Center for Counter Extremism (WACCE), warned that, amid the celebrations, it was crucial to consider the future of Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries. “The jubilation will be short-lived, because the country, at the moment, does not have the capacity to propel itself to prosperity, to stability, to ensure the sustained gains against the threats that it is currently dealing with,” Muqthtar told DW. Niger under Bazoum was a key player in the fight against jihadist terrorism. France still has approximately 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger as part of the effort to pacify the Sahel region. According to President Macron, post-coup authorities “no longer want to fight terrorism.”

Expert Muqthtar agreed that France’s departure from Niger greatly undermined counter-terrorism efforts. “The official disengagement of France would mean dire consequences for the region in terms of dealing with violent extremism,” he pointed out. Kabir Adamu, a Nigerian security and policy analyst specializing in Sahel-related matters, called the current security situation in the region “dire”, and called on the international community to pay more attention to the unfolding crisis.

“We could potentially see a repetition of what happened in Afghanistan. There are large swaths of land that are being dominated by these non-state armed groups. It’s extremely worrisome,” Adamu told DW.

Many Nigeriens are aware of the challenges ahead. But they insist that they are willing and able to meet them themselves.

Abdoulkari Hassane Maikano, a resident of the capital, Niamey, said the French presence in Niger had not yielded significant benefits. On the contrary: “It’s been too long since France brought its army here to Niger, but they haven’t been able to eradicate terrorism, so they have ulterior motives… We know very well that they are slowly destroying us,” Maikano told DW.