Press releases
New publication \ Coup in Niger: Why Military Intervention is Doomed to Fail
Since 2020, six military coups have occurred in the Sahel region, the latest being in Niger on 26 July 2023. Until then, Niger was considered a "stability anchor" for international and national support for the Sahel. In this BICC Policy Brief the authors argue why Germany should not support a military intervention.
In BICC Policy Brief 1\2023 “Coup in Niger: Why Military Intervention is Doomed to Fail” the authors Milena Berks, Claudia Breitung, Boubacar Haidara and Oyewole Simon Oginni explain why military intervention is doomed to fail and why it can never achieve the goal of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore constitutional order in Niger. “The risk of failure of a military intervention, and of a protracted conflict, is very real and could have a destabilising effect on the whole region”, the authors point out.
Jihadist groups in Niger are also a danger to the population, especially in the border regions: “In the face of the harsh financial and trade sanctions imposed on Niger and the threat of military intervention, jihadist groups have begun to relocate to border communities to escape the possible consequences of the military intervention and to gain more control over farmland.”
The authors therefore recommend that the German government:
\ Does not support external military intervention in Niger;
\ Remains engaged to prevent the further spread of jihadist groups;
\ Supports diplomatic efforts to find a way out of the crisis.
Find the Policy Brief “Coup in Niger: Why Military Intervention is Doomed to Fail” here.