Niger is turning further away from Europe and moving closer to Russia: both the civil and military EU missions should be ended, the junta said. At the same time, it agreed on a defense agreement with Moscow.
Four months after their coup, those in power in Niger, West Africa, canceled key agreements with the European Union. As has now become known, the military government declared an end to cooperation within a civilian and a military mission on Monday. On the same day, Niger’s junta chief Abdourahamane Tiani received a high-level military delegation from Russia. According to Nigerien radio, both sides agreed to strengthen military cooperation.
EU wants to continue humanitarian aid
The EU expressed regret at the decision. The necessary operational consequences for the withdrawal of staff will be drawn, explained Foreign Affairs Officer Josep Borrell in Brussels. The EU’s humanitarian aid to Niger will continue, said a spokeswoman for the EU Commission.
The two missions are the civilian advisory mission EUCAP and the military training mission EUMPM. The missions are part of a security partnership intended to curb migration towards Europe and support the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.
EU experts fear Russian influence
Since the coup at the end of July, Niger has increasingly turned away from the former colonial power France and the EU. Russia, on the other hand, has been trying to expand its relations with Africa since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine in February last year. A Russian delegation met with the military government in Mali on Sunday. It was about development projects in the energy sector, including in the field of nuclear energy.
Experts in Europe fear that Russia could use its influence in the Sahel to allow more migrants through to Europe and thus put Europe under pressure. Ten days ago, Niger re-legalized migration through its territory, which had been banned since 2015. This meant that an important component of an anti-migration agreement with the European Union was omitted.
Stefan Ehlert, ARD Rabat, tagesschau, December 5th, 2023 4:53 p.m