Last Spring, the FCIL-SIS DEI Committee hosted a webinar as part of its What in the World Series, focusing on the July 2023 coup in Niger. The webinar featured Dr. Aluko Opeyemi Idowu, professor of political science at Ajayi Crowther University in Nigeria, and Stanley Macharia, law librarian at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Dr. Idowu provided a background of the political and economic situation in Niger that culminated in the coup d’etat, while Stanley Macharia provided a comprehensive list of resources and articles to learn more about the Nigerien coup.
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On July 26, 2023, a military junta in Niger suspended the constitution and overthrew the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, placing him and his family under arrest. This marked the fifth coup in Niger since the country gained independence from France in 1960.
Niger faces significant challenges, with over 50% of its population living in extreme poverty, defined as surviving on less than $2.15 per day. Many people lack access to clean water, struggle with food insecurity, and most school-age children do not attend school. Despite these issues, Niger is one of the top ten uranium producers[1] and holds strategic importance for the U.S. and France in their antiterrorism efforts in West Africa. The U.S. operates several military bases in Niger, including a CIA-operated drone base, and had signed a status of forces agreement with Niger allowing U.S. troops and aircraft to operate in a non-combat capacity to support French counterterrorism efforts.
The junta attributed the coup to poor economic management and a deteriorating security situation under President Bazoum. However, Dr. Idowu argues that the coup will only exacerbate poverty and insecurity. The U.S. and France have halted financing for important infrastructure projects, and the junta’s withdrawal from ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) will hinder the free movement of people, goods, and transactions between West African nations. Moreover, the undermining of democratic institutions in Niger contributes to increased political and economic instability, which is problematic for West Africa, Africa, and the world at large.
To understand the current situation in Niger, it is crucial to consider its colonial history. France colonized Niger from 1900 to 1960 and maintained a significant military presence in the country long after Niger gained independence.[2] Anti-French and anti-colonial sentiment fueled support for the coup in Niger and similar coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, which are also former French colonies.
Resources for Research:
Stanley Macharia highlighted several resources and articles for researching and learning more about the situation in Niger. For general legal research, he recommended the free and open access databases listed below in addition to subscription databases such as HeinOnline, JSTOR, and Lexis.
2. Southern African Legal Information Institute
3. Directory of Open Access Journals
4. World Legal Information Institute
To learn more specifically about the coup and history of coups in West Africa, Mr. Macharia recommended the following journal articles:
July 2023 Coup:
Louisa Brooke Holland, UK Parliament Research Briefing No. 9855, Sept. 25, 2023, July 2023 Coup in Niger.
Mustafa Osman I. Elamin, Navigating Complexities: African Union’s Peace and Security Strategy Challenges after Niger and Gabon Coups, 10 Int’l J. of Membrane Science and Technology 2070 (2023).
Moses I.K., & Samuel I.T., Political Instability in Africa: An Account of the 2023 Niger Coup, 2 Best J. of Innovation in Sci., Res. and Dev. 109 (2023).
Svenja Raube, Anticipatory Consent to Military Intervention: Analysis in the Wake of the Coup’d’etat in Niger in 2023, 20 J. on the Use of Force and Int’l L. 201 (2023).
Coups, Colonialism & Neo-Colonialism:
Franklin Charles Graham IV, What the Nigerien Coup D’etat Means to the World, 37 Rev. of Afr. Pol. Econ. 527 (2010).
Salau A. Modibbo et al., The ECOWAS Protocol, Emerging Military Threats and the Relapse of Democracy in West Africa: Lessons from the Cote D’Ivoire and Niger Republic, 12 Int’l Aff. and Global Strategy 8 (2013).
Mannjong Callistus Acho, Examining the Reasons for the Effects of Military Coups in West Africa Since 1990: The Obstacles to Democracy and Progress, 1 Int’l J. of Humanity and Soc. Sci. 20 (2023).
Bettina Engels, Coups and Neo-colonialism, 50 Rev. of Afr. Pol. Econ. 147 (2023).
Thomas A. Kelley III, Exporting Western Law to the Developing World: The Troubling Case of Niger, 7 Global Jurist (2008).
Eki Yemisis Omorogbe, Club of Incumbents the African Union and Coups D’etat, 44 Vand. J. of Transnat’l L. 123 (2021).
F.C. Chilaka & T.O. Peter, Resurgence of Military Coups in West Africa: Implications for ECOWAS, 5 Afr. J. of Soc. Sci. and Human. Res. 52 (2022).
Christopher Zambakari, Military Coup in Niger: The Legacies of Colonialism and the U.S. War on Terror in West Africa, Afr. Report No. 14 (2023).
Magnus Lundgren, Back-door Peacekeeping: Does Participation in UN Peacekeeping Reduce Coups at Home?, 55 J. of Peace Res. 508 (2018).
The webinar provided valuable insights into the July 2023 coup in Niger, its historical context, and its potentially far-reaching consequences. By understanding the challenges faced by Niger, we can better appreciate the significance of these events for the region and the world.
[1] Notably, Russia is now seeking to acquire control over Niger’s uranium assets. Adekunle Agbetiloye, Russia reportedly seeks control of France’s uranium assets in Niger, Bus. Insider Afr., Jun. 3, 2024, https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/russia-reportedly-seeks-control-of-frances-uranium-assets-in-niger/e0smldl
[2] French troops withdrew from Niger in December of 2023, following the coup. Reuters, Last French troops leave Niger as military cooperation officially ends, Dec. 22, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/last-french-troops-leave-niger-military-cooperation-officially-ends-2023-12-22.
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