Saturday, December 21, 2024 - Niger's foreign minister has summoned the charge d’affaires of Nigeria’s embassy, accusing the neighboring country of serving as a “rear base” for efforts to destabilize Niger, state television reported.
Relations between Niger and Nigeria have been strained since Niger's
2023 military coup, which severed ties with the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS). Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who chairs
ECOWAS, had briefly considered a military intervention to restore ousted
Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.
Despite a temporary improvement in August when both nations resumed
security cooperation, relations have soured again. On Wednesday, Niger's
Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare claimed Nigeria was providing refuge to
officials of the former regime and collaborating with foreign powers against
Niger.
“Despite efforts to normalize relations, we regret that Nigeria has not
given up on serving as a rear base for the destabilization of Niger with the
complicity of some foreign powers and officials of the former regime,” Sangare
said in a statement broadcast on national television Thursday.
In August, Nigeria’s military leadership had pledged not to destabilize
Niger or its neighbors, and Niger expressed readiness to participate actively
in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJT). The MNJT, involving Niger,
Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, plays a key role in combating jihadist groups
operating across their shared borders.
Niger continues to battle jihadist factions linked to the Islamic State
group, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram in the Tillaberi and Diffa regions. Meanwhile,
the junta has strengthened ties with fellow military-led governments in Mali
and Burkina Faso, forming the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) for strategic
cooperation.
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