Minister of Defense
Pistorius in Niger – first ministerial meeting after the coup
Boris Pistorius is greeted in Niamey by Salifou Modi, General of the Nigerien Army. photo
© Prawos/BMVG/dpa
As the first German minister and highest-ranking representative of an EU country, Pistorius seeks talks with the military rulers in Niger and extends his hand to continue projects.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has offered the military government in Niger, which is important in terms of security policy, a continuation of cooperation projects. The SPD politician said on Tuesday in the capital Niamey, where he met the Nigerien general and Defense Minister Salifou Modi, that the suspended construction of a military hospital was also discussed. It was the first visit by a German minister after the coup against the democratically elected government almost five months ago, which has since lost international support.
“I said on behalf of the German side that we are interested in resuming cooperation projects,” said Pistorius. There was an open conversation. “Even after we came to power, we didn’t stop everything. We left our military advisor here. We left the special forces in Niger. We left the Nigerien soldiers in training with us. We didn’t burn all the bridges, which is good and is right,” he said. It is important that Germany and other partners get involved in this region.
Pistorius also visited the more than 100 German soldiers still at the Bundeswehr air transport base on the outskirts of the city. The future of the military base is unclear. Before the coup there were plans to expand the base. It should be used for Germany’s humanitarian commitment and that of European partners and be a hub for military engagement in the conflict-ridden region – even as a springboard for special forces.
Relations with Germany deteriorated
The military took power in Niger on July 26th. The country was previously considered the last democratic partner of Europe and the USA in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region (“anchor of stability”). The military justified the coup, which was publicly supported by many residents of the capital, with the security situation and poor governance. The coup sparked sharp international criticism, including threats of military action from neighboring countries. The self-proclaimed interim government under the former head of the presidential guard Abdourahamane Tiani has now established itself as an international dialogue partner again.
The previously good relations with Germany have deteriorated since the coup. On the Nigerien side of the border with Mali, a convoy with German military goods from the ended UN mission Minusma is now stuck in customs clearance. In two cases, land transport was attacked by extremists or armed gangs, it was reported on Tuesday. With two verbal notes, Niger informed Germany that the removal of military material and the return of the German Minusma contingent from Mali to Germany should not take place via Niger.
The rulers in Niamey – who pursue a policy of open rejection of the former colonial power France – had recently also gone into confrontation with other EU states: The smuggling of irregular migrants in Niger – an important issue for the EU – should remain unpunished in the future. The military junta repealed a corresponding law that was part of Europe’s strategy to curb migration across the Mediterranean.
Cooperation between the two countries since 1961
Niger is one of the most important transit countries for African migrants traveling towards Europe. The EU has been working with Niger since 2015, primarily to block the migration route from the Nigerien desert town of Agadez to Libya.
At the beginning of December, Burkina Faso and Niger, like Mali before them, announced their withdrawal from the regional organization G5 Sahel, which was founded in 2014. At the same time, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov visited the states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The three neighboring states afflicted by Islamist terrorist groups had previously announced the establishment of their own military alliance. Yevkurov signed a memorandum on defense cooperation with Modi. Mali and Burkina Faso are also already working with Russia.
Modi, his country’s former military attaché in Germany, referred on Tuesday to the long-standing cooperation with Germany since 1961. “There have been ups and downs and in the last five years the cooperation has been very active, especially in the area of combating the Terrorism. We continue to see projects that are important,” Modi told reporters. Cooperation with foreign troops should be put on a new formal footing and should always depend on the Nigerien assessment of the situation.