Why India has asked its nationals to leave Niger 'as soon as possible'

India has asked its nationals to leave Niger “as soon as possible” amid a coup in the West African nation. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an advisory on Friday (11 August) asking Indian citizens to reconsider their travel plans to Niger’s capital, Niamey. Two weeks ago, Niger’s military ousted and imprisoned the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, leading to global criticism. This was the seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years. What did MEA say? What is going on in Niger? Let’s take a closer look. MEA issues advisory At a press briefing on Friday, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that about 250 Indians are in Niger. “In light of the prevailing situation, Indian nationals whose presence is not essential are advised to leave the country as soon as possible,” he said. Bagchi also pointed out that the airspace has been closed in coup-hit Niger. “When departing through a land border, utmost precautions may be taken to ensure safety and security. Those who may be planning travel to Niger in the coming days are also similarly advised to reconsider their travel plans until the situation normalises,” ANI quoted him as saying.

#WATCH | MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi says, "Government of India is closely monitoring ongoing developments in Niger. In light of the prevailing situation, Indian nationals whose presence is not essential are advised to leave the country as soon as possible. They may bear in… pic.twitter.com/vjqzqxdyY2

— ANI (@ANI) August 11, 2023

Bagchi also urged nationals who have not registered with the Indian Embassy in Niamey to do so at the earliest. He also shared an emergency contact (+227 9975 9975) of the Indian embassy there for any assistance. “MEA is requesting those who have not registered their names to the Indian Embassy to register themselves. Indian Embassy in Niamey is in touch with the Indian communities and we have been told that they are safe,” the spokesperson added. Niger coup Niger is engulfed in political chaos after General Abdourahmane Tchiani seized power on 26 July, overthrowing president Bazoum. General Tchiani, backed by powerful army generals, declared himself the head of the “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland”, the military junta set up after his takeover. The coup, the fourth since the country’s independence in 1960, has been condemned by the United Nations, European Union and the African Union. Niger, a major uranium producer, is a key Western ally in the fight against the deadly Islamist insurgency that plagues the poverty-stricken Sahel region of West Africa, noted Reuters. The military takeover in Niger, which was a colony of France until 1960, has evoked a widespread anti-French sentiment in the country, as per BBC. Paris has been accused of “unfairly benefiting” from Niger’s natural resources even as most of the West African nation’s civilians remain impoverished, according to the British broadcaster. Civil society or trade unions have also sometimes organised street protests calling for the withdrawal of the French army from Niger, reported The Guardian. Some of these demonstrators are also seen waving Russian flags. The United States, France, Germany and Italy have deployed troops in Niger to stave off local affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State in the Sahel region, as per Reuters. M62, a civil society umbrella organisation in Niger, is among those spreading anti-French sentiment and the notion that the backing of Russian troops through the Wagner Group, a private mercenary company, can “help” the West African country in its fight against terrorism, reported The Guardian. This local activist group has also put its weight behind the recent military coup. [caption id=“attachment_12989952” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Members of a military council that staged a coup in Niger attend a rally at a stadium in Niamey on 6 August. Reuters[/caption] According to BBC, Russia has developed close ties with Niger’s neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, two other former French colonies which were recently hit by military coups. Western powers are worried about the junta in Niger following Mali’s footsteps by removing Western troops and allowing in mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group. This pro-Russian belief seems to have received a boost since the coup in Niger. “It was with the advent of the [General] Tchiani coup that I started sewing flags. Especially for Russia. People come to buy a lot of it because they use it to support our soldiers who have taken power,” Ibrahim Souleymane, a tailor in Niamey, told BBC. Some people have also shown support for the new military rulers, with thousands gathering on Friday in the capital in favour of the coup. As per Reuters, while one demonstrator’s placard read: “Long live Russia”, another’s said, “Down with France…. Down with ECOWAS” – a reference to the Economic Community of West African States. Will ECOWAS intervene in Niger? West African leaders convened a meeting on Thursday, saying they support dialogue – a step back from the earlier unpopular threat of intervening military in Niger to restore democracy. “We prioritise diplomatic negotiations and dialogue as the bedrock of our approach,” Nigerian president Bola Tinubu, chairing an emergency summit of the ECOWAS in Abuja said, as per AFP. “It is our duty to exhaust all avenues to ensure a swift return to constitutional governance in Niger,” Tinubu added.

Junta members in Niger told US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland this week that Bazoum would “die” if the regional 15-nation security bloc intervened militarily, reported Associated Press (AP). African Union, the European Union, the United States and the United Nations have said they are concerned about Bazoum’s detention conditions, who is reportedly confined with his family in a dark basement of his presidential compound. Marie-Roger Biloa, a West Africa analyst told BBC that a military invasion by ECOWAS in coup-hit Niger is “up for negation”. “The military option will prove to be very delicate, and there are many voices against it. Even former prime ministers, former dignitaries of Niger are saying: ‘Please, please don’t launch a military attack against our country. That will be terrible for the population’”, Biloa added. ECOWAS has already cut off financial transactions, electricity supplies and closed its land borders for Niger following the military takeover. People have started stocking up on food supplies in fear of an invasion, reported The Guardian.  With inputs from agencies