Coup d’Etat in Niger: Implications for Security in the Sahel and West Africa

The August 2023 edition of the IRMO Brief, authored by Clement Awanfe Ngueto, deals with the coup d’etat in the Republic of the Niger which occurred on 26^th July 2023. Putschists led by general Abdourahamane Tchiani detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) was established as the ruling military junta of Niger. The African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the US and the EU have condemned the coup and urged the junta to release the detained President Bazoum. On the other side the coup plotters were supported by the Russian military company Wagner Group, which was engaged in the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Niger is a country rich in mineral resources, including uranium, and the international community is worried about the growing influence of Russia. The author also analyses how coup will impact the security of the neighboring countries in the Sahel and West Africa.