EU and US divided over Niger coup
October 26, 2023
The European Union is considering sanctions against the military regime in Niger. On Monday, the foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states adopted a legal framework that details "restrictive measures."
According to the European Union, the sanctions will target individuals and organizations that hinder the restoration of Niger's constitutional order.
In the wake of the July 26 coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Niger that included the closure of borders, cutting off of electricity and the threat of military intervention.
"With today's decision, the EU strengthens its support to ECOWAS' efforts and sends a clear message: military coups bear costs," said Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief.
The European Union is still however providing humanitarian aid to the Sahel region country. In October, it was reported that 58 tons of essential health supplies, including medicines, had been airlifted to Niger.
US takes a different approach
The United States is taking a more conciliatory tone, with Washington expressing its intent to maintain contact with the Nigerien coup leaders.
It took the United States over two months to recognize the coup and announce the suspension of most of its development aid to Niger.
Judd Devermont, the US National Security Council senior director for African Affairs, told DW that Washington seeks to continue dialogue with the Nigerien military.
Devermont said the US military would not leave because that is not the interest of either country, nor of Niger's neighbors. "If we leave Niger, it's not just about the security of Nigeriens, it's also about the consequences for Ghana, Togo and Benin."
Seidik Abba, a journalist and associate researcher at CIRES, an international center focused on the Sahel, told DW he believes that the US's decision is aimed at slowing the spread of Russia's influence in the region.
"It's not surprising because everyone is playing their cards in this subregion. What is at stake for the Americans is to be able to stay in Niamey and, above all, to avoid the junta being cornered and thrown into the arms of Russia and Wagner," Abba said.
"It's a line that can't be crossed," Abba said, "and the Americans have done everything they can to make sure it doesn't come to that."
Approximately 1,000 US troops are currently stationed in Niger.
US and Iran on same page?
US policy on Niger appears to align with that of Iran, where President Ebrahim Raisi expressed Tehran's willingness to collaborate with the military regime in Niamey during a meeting with Nigerien Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare on Wednesday.
A statement on the website of the Iranian presidency says Raisi described "the resistance of the Nigerien people against European hegemonic policies as the testimony of Africa's refusal of colonialism."
In an attempt to alleviate its isolation and counter the effects of severe sanctions imposed after the United States withdrew from the internationally negotiated nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran has been actively strengthening its relationships with various countries in Africa.
Potential impact of sanctions
The regulatory framework announced by Brussels on Monday is a set of rules and guidelines for sanctions on Niger, with no names suggested.
Kag Sanoussi, the president of the International Institute for Conflict Management, told DW that he is skeptical about the proposed EU measures. "No decision makes an existing government bend," he said.
"ECOWAS sanctions are the harshest sanctions," Sanoussi said. "But, today, Niger continues, albeit with difficulties. I don't think sanctions can radically change the face of a country. Sanctions are elements that can be negotiated."
Abba sees the EU measures as an indication that Brussels is becoming impatient.
"We are a few days away from the third month of the military coup, and we have no visibility on the transition period, the modalities of the transition, or the political future of Niger," Abba said. "I'm not surprised."
"After losing patience, this decision to sanction seems to me to be an element of pressure to accelerate the timetable for a return to normal constitutional order," Abba said.
Edited by: Benita van Eyssen