Africa
JUST IN: Only ‘legitimate’ Niger govt can cut military ties — France

JUST IN: Only ‘legitimate’ Niger govt can cut military ties — France
France on Friday rejected the Niger junta’s move to scrap bilateral military pacts, saying the West African country’s “legitimate” leadership alone was entitled to do so.
“The legal framework of France’s defence agreement with Niger is based on accords that were signed with the legitimate Nigerien authorities,” the foreign ministry said after the junta in Niamey said it was cancelling military cooperation agreements with Paris.
Recall that the military junta in Niger Republic cut off ties with Nigeria, France, and other countries on Friday, after the peace talks delegates sent by the Economic Community of West Africa States failed.
According to a report on Friday by Radio France International, the “delegation from the ECOWAS arrived in Niamey, with the aim of establishing a dialogue with the junta in order to obtain the return to constitutional order. The first contacts on site were positive.
“But at the end of the evening, the CNSP spoke through the voice of Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane, the same who spoke on July 26, when the soldiers announced that they had overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum.
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Also, the Niger Coup leaders, on Thursday, revoked a raft of military cooperation agreements with France.
The country further suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI earlier on Thursday – drawing condemnation from the French foreign ministry.
A decision about the revocation of five military deals with France dating between 1977 and 2020 was read out on national television late on Thursday by junta representative, Amadou Abdramane, Reuters reports.
Abdramane added that a diplomatic notice will be sent to France to that effect. There was no immediate response from France.
Some locals have accused the former colonial ruler of interfering in their affairs
The PUNCH had reported on Sunday that the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, Bola Tinubu, had met with some fellow ECOWAS leaders to discuss appropriate ways to restore democracy in Niger.
The leaders of the West African regional bloc met to discuss sanctions to be placed against the military personnel who toppled President-elect Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.
JUST IN: Only ‘legitimate’ Niger govt can cut military ties — France
Africa
Niger coup leader sworn in as president for five years

Niger coup leader sworn in as president for five years
Niger’s military ruler Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani has been sworn in as the country’s president for a transitional period of five years.
Tchiani has led the country since 2023, after he deposed Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
On Wednesday, Tchiani took the presidential office under a new charter that replaces the West African country’s constitution.
He was also promoted to the highest military rank of army general in the country and signed a decree ordering that all political parties be dissolved.
During the ceremony in Niamey, Tchiani said of his new military rank, “I receive this distinction with great humility… I will strive to live up to the trust placed in me.”
The transition to democratic government is consistent with the recommendations of a commission formed following national deliberations.
The new charter states that this five-year timeframe is “flexible” based on the country’s security position.
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Niger has been plagued by Islamist attacks for years, which was one of the reasons junta officials staged their coup.
The military takeover came after a number of others in the region; adjacent Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso are also ruled by dictatorships.
All four countries have split ties with erstwhile colonial power France, forming new alliances with Russia.
And all save Guinea have pulled out of ECOWAS, the West African regional group.
Niger’s relations with ECOWAS broke down when the junta demanded a three-year transition period to democratic governance directly after the coup.
Ecowas labelled this plot a “provocation” and vowed to interfere with force before eventually backing down.
Gen Tchiani’s regime is prosecuting former President Bazoum on charges of high treason and damaging national security.
Bazoum and his wife remain in the presidential palace, despite the fact that his son was granted provisional freedom in January.
According to state-run news agency ANP, Gen Tchiani stated that Niger’s new charter adheres to traditional constitutions while also implementing “unprecedented measures to protect our natural resources so that Nigeriens truly benefit from the exploitation of their wealth.”
Niger coup leader sworn in as president for five years
Africa
Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria

Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria
With the fuel crisis bedevilling the Republic of Niger, some of its military officials have visited Abuja to seek support from Nigeria to tackle the shortage of Premium Motor Spirit in the country.
It was gathered that the delegation successfully got the approval for 300 trucks of fuel from the Nigerian government.
Trouble started for Niger -which has been reliant on a Chinese refinery – after the refinery was shut down due to some misunderstanding with the supplier.
This led to Niger turning to Nigeria for help to ameliorate the fuel shortage experienced by the country.
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Officials from the Nigerian government noted that the deal was approved with the hope of using it as a bargaining tool with Niger.
“We do not want to blow our trumpet. Rather, we want to use it as a bargaining chip for negotiation, as we continue to engage with them to bring them back to ECOWAS.
“Let them get more from us. I am confident that gradually they will come back to ECOWAS because they do not have enough resources to import food to sustain their citizens,” the official said while pleading anonymity.
Sources stated that fuel prices in Niger were hitting N8,000 per litre
However, some transborder businessmen have attributed the fuel scarcity in Niger to the lingering relationship between the country and Nigeria.
They noted that in some cross-border towns to Niger, fuel is being sold for between 1,200 CFA and N3,500 (N2,500 and N8,500).
Fuel hits N8,000/litre in Niger, country seeks help from Nigeria
Africa
ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency

ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has activated its Standby Force to curb terrorism and other transborder crimes in the subregion.
The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday at the Forty-third ordinary meeting of ECOWAS Committee Chiefs of Defence Staff said the economic growth of the region is dependent on stable peace.
The minister added that there is a need for members of ECOWAS to close ranks against all forms of threats against the region.
On January 29, 2025, ECOWAS recognised the exit of three of its former members Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger Republic upon the expiration of a one-year notice period.
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However, in “the spirit of regional solidarity”, ECOWAS asked its member countries to still recognise the national passports of the three exiting countries bearing the ECOWAS logo until further notice.
Their departure from the bloc has fractured the region and is leaving the ECOWAS grouping with an uncertain future.
The three junta-led countries formally notified ECOWAS of their plan for an “immediate” withdrawal in January 2024, citing the organisation’s excessive dependence on France in particular.
Paris has become the common enemy of the three juntas, which now favour partnerships with countries such as Russia, Turkey and Iran.
However, ECOWAS required one year’s notice for the departure to be effective — that deadline falls on January 29, 2025.
The three Sahelian countries have teamed up to form a separate confederation called the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
ECOWAS activates standby force against insurgency
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