During his visit to Niger on Thursday (16 March), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid for Africa’s Sahel region. Washington views Niger as a key ally in the struggle against Islamist insurgencies.
Blinken’s trip to Niger, the first by a US Secretary of State, is a powerful demonstration of support for a poor country. That has managed to suppress rebel groups and oversee a democratic transition in a region prone to coups.
Blinken said in a statement that the extra funding, which will go to Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania. As well as other countries in the region, “will help offer life-saving support to refugees, asylum seekers. And those impacted by war and food shortages in the region.”
Blinken’s visit is the most recent in a string of official US government visits to Africa. As Washington works to strengthen ties with a region where China has a significant influence and many nations have friendly relations with Russia.
Landlocked Niger, along with its neighbours Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Chad, is fighting to stave off Islamist terrorists who have killed thousands of people. Displaced millions more, and in some cases taken over enormous tracts of land.
Several attacks by organisations affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State have been carried out in the southwest of the country. Including those in which dozens of Nigerien soldiers were murdered, but the violence has not extended throughout the entire nation as it has elsewhere.
Niger managed a democratic transfer of power in 2021 and has maintained good relations with the West, whereas turmoil in Mali and Burkina Faso. Resulted in military coups and a change in alliances away from Western states and towards Russia.
We believe that they are making the proper decisions to help them deal with the risks that are prevalent throughout the Sahel. Hence, we’re attempting to emphasise a commendable example, a senior State Department representative told reporters.
The source commended President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger for opposing the private Russian mercenary. Wagner organisation, which Mali’s junta had contracted to assist in fighting terrorists there. The Wagner employees working on its soil are referred to as “trainers” by Mali.
According to Ghana, Burkina Faso has also employed Wagner mercenaries. The junta in Burkina Faso has not acknowledged or rejected that.
Following an altercation with the Mali junta last year, thousands of French soldiers were forced to relocate to Niger.
Blinken left Ethiopia for Niger and met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other government representatives on Wednesday. In a bid to mend the diplomatic rift brought on by the two-year war in Tigray that concluded in November.
