Twelve months after the coup that ousted Mohamed Bazoum, the head of the junta, General Abdourahamane Tiani, and his Prime Minister are navigating a complex landscape to save the national economy and establish new diplomatic ties.
Since his arrest by General Tiani, former President Mohamed Bazoum has been held within the presidential palace. On June 14th, a newly established court by the junta replaced Niamey’s State Court and stripped Bazoum of his immunity, paving the way for a possible military trial. The international community has shifted from outrage to realpolitik.
The turning point came in February 2024, when ECOWAS member states decided to lift economic sanctions (including border closures, asset freezes, and transaction bans with other ECOWAS countries) imposed after the military takeover, now under the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP).
“The political situation is deadlocked; there’s no point in further penalizing the population,” argued a diplomat from a neighboring country.
The IMF and the World Bank have resumed their interactions with the government led by Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine after a hiatus. The World Bank approved a significant support program in late June, providing $1 billion over 12 years for agriculture and livestock sectors.
In May, the IMF sent a team led by Antonio David to Niamey to assess the economic pulse and review ongoing programs at the time of the coup. Following this mission, cooperation resumed. On July 18th, the IMF’s executive board approved the immediate disbursement of approximately $71 million to bolster Niger’s macroeconomic stability and support its ecological transition.
This financial relief is timely for Niamey. A few days earlier, the Prime Minister acknowledged in a televised speech that the country’s budget balance had been severely strained.
The discovery of this military camp in a rural agricultural region near the Mozambique border has raised concerns. The police assure the public that there is no risk to their safety and promise to provide more details as soon as possible.