Niger: Germany suspends development aid, budget support

Berlin has announced the suspension of its development aid and budget support to Niger after the military coup against elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

“We have suspended all direct support payments to the government of Niger,” German Foreign Ministry spokesman Sebastian Fischer told a regular press briefing in Berlin. “This morning it was decided to suspend all bilateral cooperation for development,” added his colleague at the Ministry of Development, Katharina Koufen.

In addition, Berlin “is in the process of examining the entire bilateral commitment in Niger” and, depending on the evolution of the coming days, will “possibly take other measures”, added the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The German government reiterated its condemnation of the coup, emphasizing that the situation there was “moving” and that the international community’s efforts were continuing to obtain “a return to democratic order”.

For the moment, Germany has not planned the evacuation of its nationals from Niger, which it estimates at less than 100 for those who work neither for the embassy nor for the German army (the Bundeswehr). “We are naturally prepared for a deterioration of the situation but that does not seem to be the case yet,” said Fischer.

A hundred German soldiers are stationed in Niger. In the capital, Niamey, there is a critical Bundeswehr air base, which is used in particular for the withdrawal of the German army from Mali, a neighbouring country.

“For the moment, since the coup, personnel at the air base have not been threatened,” said Defense Ministry spokesman Arne Collatz. “Their activity has been interrupted, as far as operational tasks are concerned,” he added.

Africanews/Hauwa M.