US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on August 4 that Washington was suspending “certain foreign assistance programs that benefit the government of Niger.”
“As we have made clear from the outset of this situation, the provision of US assistance to the government of Niger is contingent on democratic governance and respect for the constitutional order,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
Mr Blinken did not specify which programs would be affected, but said humanitarian and food assistance, as well as diplomatic and security operations to protect US personnel, would continue.
“This is consistent with steps already taken by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union. The U.S. government will continue to review foreign assistance and cooperation as the situation on the ground evolves consistent with our policy objectives and legal constraints.”
Additionally, he said, the US will continue to conduct diplomatic and security operations in the country “where feasible.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his call for the restoration of Niger's democratically elected government on August 4. Photo: TASS
Officers of Niger's presidential guard on July 26 arrested Niger President Bazoum and declared themselves the country's new leaders.
The coup came as a shock to the U.S. and European governments, which have worked closely with Mr. Bazoum and Niger’s military in the fight against Islamist militants in Africa’s Sahel region. Since 2012, the U.S. has spent more than $500 million to build and train Niger’s armed forces.
While it remains unclear how the aid freeze will affect these operations, US officials have warned that US counterterrorism operations in the Sahel depend on Mr. Bazoum’s release.
According to this year’s Global Terrorism Index, the Sahel now accounts for 43% of the world’s terrorism deaths, more than South Asia and the Middle East combined, and that share is rising. The US-Niger alliance is seen as crucial to addressing the growing terrorist threats in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum said he was a "hostage" and called on the US to rescue his country after a coup on July 26. Photo: Al Jazeera
On July 29, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc had frozen budgetary and military support for Niger to deal with the uprising. The bloc would also continue to recognize Bazoum as the country's legitimate president, Borrell said.
The US has also ordered all non-emergency staff and family members to leave its embassy in Niamey this week due to uncertainty about the country's future and concerns about the potential for growing unrest.
However, US officials have been reluctant to call the uprising a coup, as this could trigger restrictions on military aid under US law. The US Department of Defense has said it has no plans to move troops or equipment out of Niger, and supports a diplomatic solution to the situation.
The US announcement of the suspension of assistance came just days before the one-week deadline given by ECOWAS for Niger's military government to restore constitutional order in Niger and reinstate Mr. Bazoum (August 6) expires.
The organization said it would consider military intervention to oust the coup plotters and restore democracy in the vast sub-Saharan nation if that deadline was not met .
Nguyen Tuyet (According to WSJ, Al Jazeera, CNN)
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