Despite previously threatening to send troops to invade Niger to effect ECOWAS’s ultimatum in response to army’s coup, Abuja and Niamey agree to ease tensions.
Nigeria and Niger have reportedly signed a security cooperation agreement despite strained relations following last year’s coup in Niamey. The Nigerian Army announced this on Thursday, stating that Nigeria’s interest has always being to enhance regional stability.
Following the military coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023, Niger, alongside its Sahelian neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso, have been under military rule. This had irritated the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), who, egged-on by France, issued an ultimatum to Niger to release the deposed president and to reinstate democratic governance. Nigeria, particularly, imposed harsh sanctions on Niger; closing their common border, cutting off electricity supply to the landlocked country, and threatening to contribute and lead troops to invade the country to forcefully implement the ultimatums of ECOWAS. Ever since, relations between the two countries, both of which are facing the relentless onslaughts of cross border insurgent terrorist groups, have deteriorated and have remained tensed.
Because of the ultimatums , sanctions and hostile reactions by the member states of ECOWAS, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, withdrew their membership of ECOWAS and denounced the regional body, calling it a neo-colonial tool of imperialist France. The trio had since confederated into the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES), after explaining the rational for their militaries kicking aside the civilian political leadership in their respective countries to the ineffectiveness of the civilian leaders to combat the expanding insurgencies and terrorism, despite welcoming thousands of foreign troops from western countries, and establishing multiple military bases to harbor them. Henceforth, they said, they will jointly fight internal and external security threats through the newly formed AES body.
However, the Nigerian chief of defense staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, paid a visit to Niamey, Niger’s capital on Wednesday and met with his Nigerien counterpart, General Moussa Salaou Barmou to discussed bilateral inter-military security relations. The agreement to ease mutual suspicions and to restart cooperative security ties was struck during the meeting. A statement released by the Nigerian military stated that “Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration, with a view to ensuring regional stability and security,” the statement added that:
“Nigeria is universally known for adherence to its principle of good neighborliness and would not be used to destabilize Niger or any of Nigeria’s contiguous countries,”
Though Niger has remained a member of the Nigeria-led cross-border Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTS) fighting Boko Haram around Lake Chad, it has kept its involvement to a minimum following the beginning of the ECOWAS induced hostilities.
But, following the signing of the new agreement with the Nigerian military chief on Wednesday, the Nigerien military “affirmed its readiness to resume active participation in security cooperation under the MNJT,” a statement accredited by the Nigerian Army stated. The statement further said Niger’s defense chief has agreed to travel to Nigeria to finalize the specifics of this week’s defense pact, though it did not give a specific date for the proposed visit.
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