Niger’s military government has directed non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to align their operations with the strategic “vision” of the ruling junta, which took control in a 2023 coup.
This directive follows the recent expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the banning of several other NGOs in recent months.
According to an interior ministry order dated Friday and obtained by AFP, a newly established “technical committee” will oversee NGOs to ensure their activities conform to the priorities set by military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani.
The ministry outlined four key strategic objectives for NGOs: “strengthening security and social cohesion,” “developing the basis of a production for economic sovereignty,” and “the promotion of good governance.”
To enforce compliance, the committee will monitor NGOs on the ground and scrutinise their annual reports, the ministry stated.
Since seizing power, the military-led government has severed most ties with France, its former colonial ruler, and other Western allies.
As the country battles a persistent jihadist insurgency, Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba declared in January that NGOs would be “reborn.”
“Many NGOs are in contact with these partners who bring us war through subversion missions… through the support they often provide to terrorists,” he asserted.
Despite these restrictions, Niger continues to accept aid from multilateral organisations. In November, the government secured an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to unlock $43 million in funding.