Niger’s junta under Tiani: sovereignty promises crumble as crises multiply
Military takeover in Niger: the gap between promises and reality
When the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP) seized power in Niger on July 26, 2023, it cited spiraling insecurity, mismanagement, and a claimed loss of sovereignty under President Mohamed Bazoum. Over three years later, the landscape tells a starkly different story: far from correcting the past, the military regime has deepened the very crises it vowed to resolve.
Sovereignty under fire: new alliances, old concerns
The departure of French and American forces was touted as a hallmark of regained independence. Yet today, Niamey’s foreign partnerships have shifted—often without transparency—toward opaque alignments with new actors. The recent arrival of Algerian troops near Madama, more than 200 kilometers inside Niger’s territory, raises urgent questions about border management and national consent.
These agreements, struck without parliamentary oversight or public consultation, echo the very ‘subjugation’ the coup leaders condemned under civilian rule. Where Bazoum was accused of external dependence, the junta now appears to have issued blank checks to regional and international players.
Security failures: attacks persist despite military claims
The junta’s central argument—that a coup was necessary to restore order—has failed to materialize. Armed groups such as ISGS and JNIM continue to wreak havoc across Diffa, Maradi, Tahoua, and Tillabéri. The result? Schools and health centers remain shuttered in conflict zones, and communities face a precarious existence under militant control.
Economic stagnation: stalled projects, broken dreams
On the economic front, the picture is equally grim. Major infrastructure and energy initiatives—once hailed as pillars of independence—now languish in bureaucratic limbo. Delays in oil permits like Kafra and uncertainty around the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline starkly contrast with the junta’s rhetoric of self-reliance.
A climate of silence: dissent silenced amid regime contradictions
Public discourse has been stifled, with critics and opposition figures sidelined. While past grievances against Bazoum’s government sparked widespread outrage, the same voices now watch in silence as the junta’s policies unfold. This double standard underscores a regime trapped in its own contradictions, leaving Niger’s citizens to bear the brunt of an endless transition.
