Regime Change in Niger
In the last decade, Niger became a key ally for Western countries, especially in cooperation on counter-terrorism, migration and development. The coup that took place in Niger on 26 July – but also responses from Western partners with the suspension of aid and security cooperation – will have significant implications for this cooperation with Niger and the Sahel more widely. Given the importance of migration cooperation with Niger as a key interest of the EU, this brief examines the implications of the coup on migration cooperation between the European Union (EU) and its member states and Niger. It analyses what the change in government may mean for EU policymakers, especially for the externalisation of EU migration policies in Niger.
Building on an analysis of the cooperation between Niger and the EU and its member states before the coup, the brief highlights some unintended consequences of the focus on migration cooperation. It examines the potential impacts of the coup on migration cooperation in West Africa, especially as it relates to border closures, regional migration dynamics, increasing instability and displacement and how decolonial narratives are fuelling the discourse on the change in government. The brief identifies crucial considerations for the EU regarding its migration cooperation with African countries, particularly in light of recent unconstitutional changes in government across West Africa and the Sahel occurring on the backdrop of longstanding authoritarian trends among pre-existing regimes.
| Full title | What does the regime change in Niger mean for migration cooperation with the EU? |
|---|---|
| Author | Amanda Bisong et al. |
| Publisher | ecdpm brief |
| Year | 2023 |
| Media type | |
| Link | https://ecdpm.org/application/files/7016/9443/5852/What-Does-Regime-Change-Niger-Mean-Migration-Cooperation-With-EU-ECDPM-Briefing-Note-168-2023.pdf |
| Topics | European Externalization Policies & Cash Flows |
| Regions | Sahara and Sahel |