Africa - Pistorius in Niger: First ministerial meeting after the coup
Four and a half months after the military coup in Niger, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is the first German member of government to travel to the West African country for talks. The SPD politician wanted to gain clarity on the future course of the rulers this Tuesday in the capital Niamey. He wanted to meet the Nigerien General Salifou Modi, who now heads his country's Ministry of Defense following the coup. Pistorius will also visit the more than 100 German soldiers still stationed at the Bundeswehr air base on the outskirts of the city.
The military took power in Niger on July 26. The country was previously regarded as the last democratic partner of Europe and the USA in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region. Niger had been described by the German government as an anchor of stability in the region, with which existing cooperation was to be further expanded. The state is located on an important migration route to Europe.
The military had justified the coup, which was publicly supported by many inhabitants of the capital, with the security situation and poor governance. The previously good relations with Germany have deteriorated since then. The future of the air base is unclear. In addition, a convoy with German military goods from the terminated UN mission Minusma is stuck in customs clearance on the Nigerien side of the border with Mali.
Rulers in Niamey recently went into confrontation
Before the coup, the Bundeswehr had plans to maintain and expand the airlift base beyond the withdrawal from Mali. It was to be used for Germany's humanitarian commitment and that of its European partners and be a hub for military engagement in the conflict-ridden region - including a role as a springboard for special forces. There are voices in the German government that are in favor of retaining the base. In principle, it also seems conceivable to resume projects that have been put on hold, such as the construction of a military hospital that is also used by civilians.
However, the rulers in Niamey have recently taken a more confrontational approach: For example, the smuggling of irregular migrants in Niger - an important issue for the EU - is to remain unpunished in future. The leader of the military junta, Abdourahamane Tiani, had repealed a law to this effect. The law was part of Europe's strategy to stem migration across the Mediterranean. Niger is one of the most important transit countries for African migrants who want to travel to Europe. The EU has been working with Niger since 2015, primarily to block the migration route from the Nigerien desert city of Agadez to Libya.
Withdrawal from the G5 Sahel regional organization
At the beginning of December, Burkina Faso and Niger declared their withdrawal from the G5 Sahel regional organization founded in 2014, following Mali's example. At the same time, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov visited the states of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Yevkurov signed a memorandum with Modi on cooperation in the field of defense.
In two verbal notes dated November 30, Niger informed Germany that the Nigerien authorities were suspending their approval for the passage of convoys or the storage of military equipment of foreign armed forces on their territory, citing the security situation, according to a briefing from the German Ministry of Defense to the Bundestag. Germany had also been informed that the return of the German Minusma contingent from Mali to Germany could not take place via Niger. The soldiers then made a stopover in the Senegalese capital Dakar.
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Source: www.stern.de
