Washington, DC — For 2 months after the coup in Niger on 26 July 2023, the Biden administration shunned calling or selected to not name it a “coup” as a result of that will have triggered American laws that will have required it to droop safety cooperation and most different types of help to the junta.
It hoped that by sustaining relations with the junta, it may make a take care of them to allow 1,100 US troops to stay at two Nigerien navy bases (at Niamey and the drone operation facility constructed by the US at a price of some $110 million at Agadez).
On 10 October 2023, after two months of frustration, the Biden administration declared that there had been a coup and the laws took impact. Up to now, the junta has not taken any motion relating to the presence of US troops. Some US personnel have been withdrawn from Niger and the remaining troops have been consolidated in Agadez. They proceed to conduct drone surveillance and reconnaissance flights, however solely to watch threats to their very own safety, which suggests they’re now not conduction helpful counterterrorism operations within the Sahel.
Nevertheless, the Biden administration has not given up on its technique of counting on navy drive to create safety, construct democratic establishments, and set up political stability within the Sahel and different components of Africa. As an alternative, it has determined to doubled down on this technique by escalating or increasing US navy operations in Africa and strengthening US safety relationships or cooperation with political leaders and navy officers in Nigeria (present chair of ECOWAS), Ghana, Senegal, Chad, and different key African companions or proxies. And it retains attempting to succeed in an settlement with the junta that can enable it to maintain American troops based mostly within the nation and to renew navy cooperation with Niger.
On the Senate International Relations Committee listening to on “Instability within the Sahel and West Africa: Implications for U.S. Coverage,” on 24 October 2023, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee declared that there’s additionally a major threat that violent extremist organizations would possibly develop their affect or capabilities within the area. “The coups which have occurred not too long ago in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and now Niger,” she mentioned, “illustrate the democratic regression that threatens not solely the folks of the Sahel however their neighbors and our companions in coastal west Africa.”
Within the case of Niger, Phee testified, “we’re working with the regional group ECOWAS. The African Union and Africa’s regional financial commissions are important companions in advancing democracy and peace. That’s the reason – though we promptly paused the vast majority of U.S. help for Niger after the coup – we delayed on the request of our African companions the formal evaluation that the end result constituted a coup whereas they sought to revive President Bazoum to workplace. Appearing Deputy Toria Nuland traveled to Niamey in August to try to persuade the generals to revive constitutional order. I later traveled to west Africa to seek the advice of on find out how to interact a fast and credible restoration of democratic rule. Secretary Blinken met with ECOWAS International Ministers on the latest UN Common Meeting to suggest a phased strategy to resuming U.S. help based mostly on concrete actions to return the nation to democratic rule.”
On 3 December 2023, Kathleen FitzGibbon, the newly-appointed US Ambassador handed her credentials to the international ministry in Niamey, Niger. Ms. FitzGibbon previously served as Division Chief, West and Southern Africa, after which as Director of the Workplace of Africa Evaluation, Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis, on the State Division in Washington, DC.
On 4 December 2023, the U.S. Particular Operations Command Africa started a weeklong convention on counterterrorism in Africa, referred to as “Silent Warrior ’23” and held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The convention concerned navy officers from greater than twenty African nations and over a dozen different nations with pursuits on the continent. Based on a story on the convention in Stars and Stripes, “on the prime of the agenda had been deep dives into the main extremist threats in Africa: al-Shabab in Somalia, associates of ISIS and al-Qaida within the Sahel, and ISIS in Mozambique.” In his opening assertion to the convention, Common Michael Langley, commander of Africom, didn’t instantly tackle the scenario in Niger, in response to the story; however he alluded to it when he careworn the necessity for militaries to respect civilian authority. “Good governance is a key to countering violent extremist organizations,” Common Langley mentioned. “Sure, we’ve had some challenges throughout the continent . . . We all know that civilian authorities, they’re the boss. We [the military] execute the missions.”
On 5 December 2023, Celeste Wallander, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Protection for Worldwide Safety Affairs, testified earlier than the Africa subcommittee of the Home International Affairs Committee at a listening to on “The Sahel in Disaster: Analyzing U.S. Coverage Choices.” Based on Wallander , “Within the brief and medium time period, we are going to assist African-led counterterrorism operations to disrupt essentially the most acute threats, with a specific emphasis on these focusing on U.S. pursuits. In the long run, we are going to emphasize bilateral safety help to African protection and safety forces so as to construct their very own homegrown capability to counter these threats with out in depth exterior help.”
She famous that navy coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have resulted in restrictions on navy cooperation, led to elevated assaults by jihadists, and opened the way in which for better Russian affect and navy involvement. “Violent extremist organizations thrive in areas of instability and search to leverage that instability for their very own ends, as evidenced by the assaults we’ve seen in Niger because the coup,” she mentioned.
“Given this elevated risk setting, the Division of Protection is dedicated to working with our interagency companions to proceed to watch and disrupt the violent extremist group threats, whereas constructively partaking with regional states to revive productive, democratic governance in these nations,” Wallander mentioned. “In doing so, we’re constantly working to strike a steadiness between providing the sensible help that our African companions must face rising threats, whereas reinforcing our skilled values to assist them construct robust, resilient establishments that can reinforce not solely their bodily safety, however their democratic stability.”
The Pentagon’s requirement “to watch indications and warnings of violent extremist group exercise within the Sahel has not modified,” she insisted. “For the final ten years, our posture in Niger has confirmed essential to this effort. Shifting ahead, now we have labored facet by facet with the Division of State and different interagency companions to outline circumstances for restoring our actions and operations in Niger. Nigerian officers should rapidly and credibly transition again to democratically elected, civilian led authorities.”
Testifying on the identical listening to, Phee famous the risk that violent extremist violence posed to the nations of coastal west Africa, “together with Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo.”
On 6 December 2023, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, met with Nigerian Minister of Protection Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and Ghanaian Minister of International Affairs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey in New York Metropolis, New York to debate UN peacekeeping operations in Mali and Sudan, and the coup in Niger.
On 7 December 2023, she gave an interview to Thomas Naadi of BBC Information in Accra, Ghana. When he requested her if the US was “now recognizing the navy junta in Niger because the reliable authority?” she mentioned “Look, what we’re attempting to do is get to an answer that can shorten the transition again to civilian authorities. So, we’re partaking with this navy [in Niger] to place stress on them and to induce that they return to a civilian authorities. We’re additionally working intently with our regional companions. We’re working with ECOWAS.” And, she went on to announce “we’re working to seek out new methods of offering assist, new methods of offering coaching and tools to governments on this continent, and notably on this area.”
Additionally on 7 December 2023, President Biden despatched a Letter to the Speaker f the Home of Representatives and President professional tempore of the Senate relating to the Warfare Powers Report, to tell them about deployments of US navy forces outfitted for fight, together with operations in Somalia, Kenya, and Djibouti, within the East Africa Area, and in Niger and different nations within the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel Area. The administration, Biden acknowledged, “continues to work with companions across the globe, with a specific give attention to the US Central and Africa Instructions’ areas of accountability. On this context, the US has deployed forces to conduct counterterrorism operations and to advise, help, and accompany safety forces of choose international companions on counterterrorism operations.”
Within the East Africa Area, the letter acknowledged:
“United States Armed Forces proceed to counter the terrorist risk posed by ISIS and al-Shabaab, an related drive of al-Qa’ida. For the reason that final periodic report, United States Armed Forces have carried out various airstrikes in Somalia in opposition to al-Shabaab in protection of our Somali accomplice forces. United States Armed Forces stay ready to conduct airstrikes in Somalia in opposition to ISIS and al-Shabaab terrorists. United States navy personnel conduct periodic engagements in Somalia to coach, advise, and help regional forces, together with Somali and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia forces, in reference to counterterrorism operations. United States navy personnel are deployed to Kenya to assist counterterrorism operations in East Africa. United States navy personnel proceed to accomplice with the Authorities of Djibouti, which has permitted use of Djiboutian territory for basing of United States Armed Forces. United States navy personnel stay deployed to Djibouti, together with for functions of staging for counterterrorism and counter-piracy operations within the neighborhood of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and to offer contingency assist for embassy safety augmentation in East Africa, as mandatory.”
And within the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel Area”
“United States navy personnel within the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel Area proceed to conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations and to offer assist to African and European companions conducting counterterrorism operations within the area, together with by advising, helping, and accompanying these accomplice forces. Roughly 648 United States navy personnel stay deployed to Niger.”
Actually, in response to Africom , drive ranges are holding regular at about 1,000 American navy personnel in Niger. This contains each uniformed service members and military-affiliated civilians.
Join free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the newest in African information delivered straight to your inbox
On 8 December 2023, Phee traveled to Nigeria to satisfy with regional leaders on the ECOWAS Heads of State Summit on 10 December 2023 and to seek the advice of with them on Niger and the Sahel. Then, on 12 December 2023, Phee traveled to Niger for discussions with Nigerien officers, together with Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. And, on 13 December 2023, she introduced that the US was able to resume safety cooperation with the junta if it met sure circumstances.
Phee mentioned she had met with the highest ministers in Niger’s ruling navy council—the Nationwide Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP)—and inspired them to announce a timeline for a swift transition again to civilian rule. The junta should announce “a deadline for a fast and credible transition” resulting in “a democratically elected authorities,” she informed a press convention in Niamey. And “now we have confirmed that we’re able to resume our cooperation if the CNSP takes the steps I’ve outlined.” “I encourage the CNSP to reply positively to the ECOWAS provide for negotiation; the US helps the resolutions of the regional group.” ECOWAS supplied to ease sanctions if the junta agrees to a notably “brief transition.”
“In our discussions,” she informed a press convention in Niamey, “I confirmed the intent of the US to renew safety and improvement cooperation in phases, reciprocally because the CNSP takes motion.” She went on to say that “I’ve made it clear to the CNSP that we need to be accomplice once more, however the CNSP needs to be accomplice to the US.” And he or she mentioned she urged the junta to reply positively to a proposal for high-level negotiations with ECOWAS, which introduced on 10 December 2023 that it might ease sanctions on Niger if talks with the navy leaders went properly.
On 13 December 2023, following his assembly with Phee, Prime Minister Zeine mentioned that “If the People need to say right here with their forces, they need to inform us what they need to do.”
When the US declared {that a} coup had taken place in Niger, it appeared virtually sure that the junta would expel US troops, simply as that they had expelled French troops earlier. It’s now clear, nevertheless, that the junta is fascinated about negotiating a take care of the Biden administration. It stays to be seen what circumstances Washington will insist on and what concessions it’ll make to the Nigerien junta so as to begin conducting counterterrorism operations in Niger once more.
Daniel Volman is the Director of the African Safety Analysis Challenge in Washington, DC and a specialist on US safety coverage towards Africa and African safety points.
