Niger

The decision to initially prevent Nigerians with ECOWAS passports from entering Niger stems from the nation's recent withdrawal from the West African regional group known as ECOWAS. But why such a drastic move? It all circles back to the political tremors reverberating through the region. Niger's exit—occurring alongside fellow nations Mali and Burkina Faso—followed a trio of coups that placed military governments at their helm. Some attempts at negotiations fell flat, and eventually, their departure was solidified in…

Amid growing discontent, activists have stepped forward, prominently featuring King Okabi from the Ogale community, urging an end to Shell's reckless pollution practices in the Niger Delta. As the legal battle commences between the Ogale and Bille communities and the oil giant, the call for accountability has never been louder. For over six decades, the Niger Delta has suffered under the weight of Shell's negligence. The company’s aging and poorly maintained pipelines have unleashed a torrent of environmental degradation,…

Since the military coup in Niger in July 2023, former president Mohamed Bazoum and his wife have remained confined in a distressingly precarious situation. Their prolonged detention serves as a grim reminder of how swiftly political fortunes can shift and the consequent havoc it wreaks on lives. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, an independent authority charged with scrutinizing cases of wrongful confinement, has labeled the incarceration of Bazoum and his spouse as arbitrary. Their conclusion…

In a surprising move that has sent shockwaves through the humanitarian community, the military junta in Niger has issued an expulsion order for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Strikingly, they provided no official rationale for this decisive action, leaving many to speculate about the motivations behind it. The ICRC has been a steadfast presence in Niger since 1990, tirelessly delivering crucial healthcare services to over 120,000 individuals affected by armed conflict. Their commitment to alleviating…

Niger has carved its name into the annals of public health history as the first African nation to successfully eliminate onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness. This parasitic disease has long been regarded as the second-leading cause of blindness globally, casting a shadow over the lives of many. How does one contract this affliction? The culprit is the bite of an infected black fly, predominantly found in areas along rivers, where these tiny marauders carry the parasitic worm that ultimately wreaks havoc on…

In a bold proclamation, the Sahel nations have unveiled their exit strategy from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), set to take effect in 2024. The catalyst for this decision? A chorus of criticism aimed at ECOWAS for allegedly being puppeteered by former colonial powers—a sentiment that resonates deeply in regions still grappling with the legacies of colonialism. To counter this narrative, the military regimes of these countries have unified under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), announcing an…

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has voiced strong objections to a recent decree from the Nigerien government, which greenlights the formation of a database targeting individuals suspected of terrorist activities. The organization argues that this legislation seriously infringes upon essential human rights by utilizing "overly vague criteria" for determining who gets placed on the list, consequently "denying due process" to those affected. Ilaria Allegrozzi, a Senior Researcher specializing in the Sahel region, expressed concern…

In a bold move, three West African nations—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—governed by military juntas, are set to unveil new biometric passports as they distance themselves from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

A bus from a Nigerian transport company was attacked on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 by a group of heavily armed jihadists on the Dori-Tera axis. At least 19 passengers, including the bus driver who returned from Ouagadougou, were killed. Niger's Interior…

The eight Rwandans who were released by the ICTR and released after serving their sentences are still waiting in Niger. By early December, they had been transferred from Arusha to Niamey on the basis of an agreement between Niger and the UN mechanism…