Niger’s military junta has ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to leave the country, marking a significant move in its efforts to assert sovereignty since the July 2023 coup. The ICRC, which had been operating in Niger since 1990, closed its office in Niamey and began withdrawing foreign staff after the government terminated its agreements with the humanitarian organization.
No specific reason was given for the expulsion, but it follows the junta’s increasing scrutiny of foreign NGOs. Niger’s government has previously accused certain organizations of ties to foreign partners that may be fueling jihadist violence in the region. In addition to the ICRC’s expulsion, the junta has also banned other foreign NGOs, including the French humanitarian group Acted.
This development is part of a broader shift in Niger’s foreign policy, as the military rulers distance themselves from France and strengthen ties with other African juntas, such as those in Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as Russia. The junta has also expelled French and US military forces involved in combating jihadist groups in the Sahel.
