Only months after forcing its former colonizer France to withdraw its troops, Niger, West Africa’s largest country, has said the presence of US troops is illegal. This could be a major blow to the US military’s power-projection capacity in the region

The West African bloc has lifted a majority of the sweeping sanctions it had imposed on Niger, including border closures and a freezing of state assets. The move followed soon after Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso declared their withdrawal from ECOWAS after forming the Alliance of Sahel States

Achy Ekissi of the Communist Party of Côte d’Ivoire talks about the coup in Niger, the political changes in the Sahel and the struggle against imperialism. He also talks about the role of the left in these processes

After withdrawing from Mali and Burkina Faso, and now on the way out from Niger, Chad is the last of the now practically defunct G5 Sahel country to host a permanent base of France.

The commander of French forces in the Sahel has discussed disengagement from Niger, yet Macron has refused to withdraw troops, whose continued presence in Niger was deemed ‘illegal’

We take a look at the developments in Niger and the Sahel region a month after the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The developments in Niger are reflective of a larger trend which has mounted a resistance to insecurity, exploitation, and French presence

The CNSP has proposed a three-year transition period for Niger as ECOWAS threatens increasingly-unpopular military action. Nigeriens have continued to take to the streets to demand the removal of foreign troops from their soil and for the lifting of “inhumane” sanctions

La reciente oleada de golpes de Estado en África Occidental debe entenderse en el contexto del descontento generalizado con las élites gobernantes y su colaboración con el imperialismo.

El popular gobierno militar de Níger ha ido consolidando su apoyo nacional y regional. Mientras tanto, la CEDEAO se ve acosada por la desunión y la oposición interna tras amenazar con una intervención militar para restaurar al derrocado Mohamed Bazoum con el respaldo de Francia y EE.UU.

Niger’s popular military government has been consolidating domestic and regional support. Meanwhile, ECOWAS is beset by disunity and domestic opposition after threatening military intervention to restore the ousted Mohamed Bazoum with the backing of France and US 

As tension continues to mount in the Sahel region, Niger’s military has accused French forces of acts of destabilization, alleging they released “captured terrorist elements”

A day after ECOWAS chiefs of staffs finalized plans for a military intervention, Nigeria’s Senate refused to support President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to deploy soldiers. Tinubu is the current chair of ECOWAS. Meanwhile, Niger has seen multiple demonstrations in support of the coup that overthrew Mohamed Bazoum