Niger

The interior minister of Niger's decision this week to suspend the activities of Maison de la Presse (Press House), an independent media organization, is the latest in a series of government actions to crack down on the press and free expression in the West African country.

Russia and Niger, under military rule since a coup last year, have agreed to develop military cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Salem Bazoum had been in detention at the presidential residence with his parents since the coup in Niger in July 2023.

France has closed down its embassy in Niger until further notice, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, barely two weeks after the last French troops left the country in the wake of a coup that ousted a key Paris ally.

The last French troops are to withdraw from Niger on Friday, marking an end to more than a decade of French anti-jihadist operations in west Africa's Sahel region. The French exit from Niger leaves hundreds of US military personnel, and a number of Italian and German troops, remaining in the country.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders on Sunday kept sanctions imposed on Niger after a July military coup and said they would need to see progress towards a transition to civilian rule before easing the measures.

On Wednesday in Niamey, the United States announced their readiness to resume cooperation with Niger, on the condition that the military regime that came to power at the end of July in a coup commits to a notably brief transition.

The ongoing withdrawal of French troops participating in an anti-jihadist mission in Niger will be complete by December 22, the Sahel country’s army said Tuesday.

West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS on Sunday set up a committee of three leaders to negotiate with Niger's military junta on a transition to democratic rule and to consider easing sanctions, a communique said after an annual summit.

Niger's junta on Monday scrapped two key military agreements that the West African nation signed with the European Union to help fight the violence in Africa's Sahel region as the country's army leaders and a senior Russian defense official discussed military cooperation.