Niger will face sanctions as democracy falls apart, adding to woes for more than 25 million people

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By SAM MEDNICK
Updated 1:13 PM CDT, July 31, 2023

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Economic sanctions could severely hurt one of the world’s poorest nations after a coup unseated one of the West’s last democratic partners against Islamic extremists in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Niger’s neighbors are also threatening armed intervention against the junta run by the head of the presidential guard, although analysts say there is only a slim chance of the regional body successfully sending troops.

Both the United States and France have sent forces and hundreds of millions of military and humanitarian aid in recent years to Niger, which was a French colony until 1960. The French and the US train Nigerien forces, and the French military carries out joint operations in the north.

Since the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, people have been toting Russian flags and praising that country in pro-junta demonstrations.




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/niger-coup-west-africa-use-of-force-369ade0cb11447844a9265196f918ac8A

[peppertree]

1. 27 million - and that's part of the problem in these countries: runaway population growth

https://www.populationpyramid.net/niger/2023/

Their population has doubled since 2005 (!). This, in what already was one of the poorest countries on earth.

With pressures like that - demographic as well as climactic - it'll be hard for any administration to hold on.

[bronxiteforever]

2. I am sure the Wagner group and Russia

will help them out. intense sarcasm!

[oldsoftie]

3. now they've stopped sending uranium & other materials to France.

You know russia has a hand in this.

[orangecrush]

4. Prigozhin and crew

Hard at work making the world miserable