Niger's military government agreed to increase military cooperation with Russia after expelling French forces. Russian military instructors and equipment, including an air defence system, have arrived in Niamey. Russia aims to ensure control of Niger's airspace. Niger turned to Russia following a coup and revoked its military accord with the United States. Russian President Putin discussed global strategic cooperation with Niger's military leader in March.
Niger has suspended a military agreement with the United States that allowed American troops to operate from bases in the Sahel region, following US accusations of Niger's ties to Russia and Iran. The US operates Airbase 101 in Niamey and Airbase 201 in Agadez for surveillance and drone operations against armed groups in the Sahel. US officials expressed concerns about Niger's relationships with Russia and Iran during a recent visit, leading to the suspension of the agreement.
Ukraine conducted a kamikaze drone strike on a key Russian airbase that houses nuclear-capable aircraft in the Saratov region. Pro-Putin sources accused Kyiv of also targeting a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region. The attacks on border regions Belgorod and Kursk have caused alarm, with civilian casualties reported. Russian President Putin suggested creating a buffer zone between Ukrainian and Russian territories to counter Ukraine's aerial assaults. Russia has increased its aerial assaults on Ukrainian towns and cities, with recent incidents involving intercepted drones and missile strikes.
On 26 July 2023, a coup d'état occurred in Niger, during which the country's presidential guard removed and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. Subsequently, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the Commander of the Presidential Guard, proclaimed himself the leader of the country and established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, after confirming the success of the coup.In response to this development, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum on 30 July, giving the coup leaders in Niger one week to reinstate Bazoum, with the threat of international sanctions and potential use of force. When the deadline of the ultimatum expired on 6 August, no military intervention was initiated; however, on 10 August, ECOWAS took the step of activating its standby force. Previously in 2017, ECOWAS had launched a military intervention to restore democracy in The Gambia during a constitutional crisis within the country. All active member states of ECOWAS, except for Cape Verde, pledged to engage their armed forces in the event of an ECOWAS-led military intervention against the Nigerien junta. Conversely, the military juntas in Burkina Faso and Mali announced they would send troops in support of the junta were such a military intervention launched while forming a mutual defense pact.On 24 February, 2024, ECOWAS announced that it was lifting sanctions on Niger, purportedly for humanitarian purposes.
Niger or the Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state bordered by Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. It covers a land area of almost 1,270,000 km2 (490,000 sq mi), making it the largest landlocked country in West Africa and the second largest landlocked nation in Africa behind Chad. Over 80% of its land area lies in the Sahara. Its predominantly Muslim population of about 25 million lives mostly in clusters in the south and west of the country. The capital Niamey is located in Niger's southwest corner.Following the spread of Islam to the region, Niger was on the fringes of some states, including the Kanem–Bornu Empire and the Mali Empire before more significant parts of its territory became included in states such as the Sultanate of Agadez and the Songhai Empire. It was colonized by France during the Scramble for Africa as part of French West Africa, becoming a distinct colony in 1922. Since obtaining independence in 1960, Niger has experienced five coups d'état and four periods of military rule. Niger's seventh and most recent constitution was enacted in 2010, establishing a multiparty, unitary semi-presidential system. Following the most recent coup in 2023, the country is once again under a military junta.Its society reflects a diversity drawn from the independent histories of some ethnic groups and regions and their period living in a single state. The Hausa are the country's largest ethnic group, making up more than half the population. French is the country's official language, and ten indigenous languages have the status of national language.According to the UN's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report of 2023, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some non-desert portions of the country undergo periodic drought and desertification. The economy is concentrated around subsistence agriculture, with some export agriculture in the less arid south, and the export of raw materials, including uranium ore. It faces challenges to development due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, low literacy rate, jihadist insurgencies, and the world's highest fertility rates due to birth control not being used and the resulting rapid population growth.
The gross domestic product (GDP) of Niger was $16.617 billion US dollars in 2023, according to official data from the World Bank. This data is based largely on internal markets, subsistence agriculture, and the export of raw commodities: foodstuffs to neighbors and raw minerals to world markets. Niger, a landlocked West African nation that straddles the Sahel, has consistently been ranked on the bottom of the Human Development Index, at 0.394 as of 2019. It has a very low per capita income, and ranks among the least developed and most heavily indebted countries in the world, despite having large raw commodities and a relatively stable government and society not currently affected by civil war or terrorism. Economic activity centers on subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry, re-export trade, and export of uranium. The 50% devaluation of the West African CFA franc in January 1994 boosted exports of livestock, cowpeas, onions, and the products of Niger's small cotton industry. Exports of cattle to neighboring Nigeria, as well as groundnuts and oil remain the primary non-mineral exports. The government relies on bilateral and multilateral aid – which was suspended briefly following coups in 1996 and 1999 – for operating expenses and public investment. Short-term prospects depend on continued World Bank and IMF debt relief and extended aid. The post-1999 government has broadly adhered to privatization and market deregulation plans instituted by these funders. Niger is a least developed country according to the United Nations.
Ukrainian shelling in Belgorod, Russia, killed two people, with three wounded; while a Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at a Russian oil refinery in the Samara region. In a retaliatory move, Russian missiles struck Ukraine's Odesa port city, killing at least 20 people. Russian President Putin promised a harsh response to Ukrainian attacks in Belgorod and Kursk. The attacks coincided with Russia's presidential elections, sparking fierce fighting between Kyiv and Moscow.
Switzerland will host a high-level international conference on June 15-16 to facilitate peace in Ukraine, with hopes of Russian participation in the future. Key countries involved in the planning include the US, European Union, and envoys from the Global South like Brazil, China, Ethiopia, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Swiss efforts aim to launch a peace process in Ukraine, with consultations conducted with multiple nations. Russian President Putin has stated that there will be no peace in Ukraine until Russia's goals are met.
A massive missile and drone attack destroyed the Trypilska power plant, a major energy supplier for Kyiv, Cherkasy, and Zhytomyr regions, leaving it ablaze and causing significant damage. Russian President Putin justified the attacks as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The attacks resulted in over 200,000 people without power in Kharkiv, and impacted Ukraine's energy sector severely. The UK condemned the attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, emphasizing the lasting consequences for civilians. This is part of Russia's renewed campaign targeting Ukrainian energy facilities, causing widespread destruction and disruptions.
Niamey (French pronunciation: [njamɛ]) is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital district growing at a slower rate than the country as a whole, which has the world's highest fertility rate. The city is located in a pearl millet growing region, while manufacturing industries include bricks, ceramic goods, cement, and weaving.
French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism and isolation after suggesting that Western troops could be sent to Ukraine. Macron's comments prompted outrage from other European leaders, leading French officials to clarify his remarks. The Kremlin warned of inevitable conflict if NATO sends combat troops, while Russian President Putin mentioned the risk of a global nuclear conflict. Macron's remarks come amidst evolving European attitudes towards supporting Ukraine since Russia's invasion in February 2022.
Russian hacktivists stole a database containing details of hundreds of thousands of prisoners in retaliation for the death of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. Hackers lowered prices on the prison system's online commissary to one ruble, posted pro-Navalny messages, and shared stolen contact information of 800,000 prisoners. The hackers aimed to understand the circumstances of Navalny's death in prison. This hack was part of a rising trend of hacktivism in Russia since the Ukraine invasion. The US has accused Russian President Putin of being responsible for Navalny's death.
Ukraine's military intelligence dismissed Russian President Putin's claim of Ukraine's involvement in the Moscow concert hall attack as false and absurd, stating the border is heavily guarded with obstacles preventing infiltration. Ukrainian officials reiterated that Kyiv had no connection to the attack and emphasized the ongoing conflict with Russia. Putin had accused suspects of trying to flee to Ukraine, citing a 'Ukrainian trail' in the incident. The Kremlin was accused of using the tragedy to escalate repression within Russia, while Russian propagandists dismissed an Islamic State confession as fake.
Association Sportive Niamey, commonly referred to as AS Niamey, is a Nigerien association football club based in Niamey. AS Niamey has won the Niger Premier League three times in his history .
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is the President of Russia. Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012, and as president from 2000 to 2008 and since 2012. He is the longest-serving Russian or Soviet leader since Joseph Stalin.Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel before resigning in 1991 to begin a political career in Saint Petersburg. In 1996, he moved to Moscow to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin. He briefly served as the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and then as secretary of the Security Council of Russia before being appointed prime minister in August 1999. Following Yeltsin's resignation, Putin became acting president and, in less than four months, was elected to his first term as president. He was subsequently reelected in 2004. Due to constitutional limitations of two consecutive presidential terms, Putin served as prime minister again from 2008 to 2012 under Dmitry Medvedev. He returned to the presidency in 2012, following an election marked by allegations of fraud and protests, and was reelected in 2018. In April 2021, after a referendum, he signed into law constitutional amendments that included one allowing him to run for reelection twice more, potentially extending his presidency to 2036.During Putin's initial presidential tenure, the Russian economy grew on average by seven percent per year, driven by economic reforms and a fivefold increase in the price of oil and gas. Additionally, Putin led Russia in a conflict against Chechen separatists, reestablishing federal control over the region. While serving as prime minister under Medvedev, he oversaw a military conflict with Georgia and enacted military and police reforms. In his third presidential term, Russia annexed Crimea and supported a war in eastern Ukraine through several military incursions, resulting in international sanctions and a financial crisis in Russia. He also ordered a military intervention in Syria to support his ally Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war, ultimately securing permanent naval bases in the Eastern Mediterranean. In his fourth presidential term, he launched a significant invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which prompted international condemnation and led to expanded sanctions. In September 2022, he announced a partial mobilization and forcibly annexed four Ukrainian oblasts into Russia. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes related to his alleged criminal responsibility for illegal child abductions during the war.Under Putin's rule, Russian political system has been transformed into an authoritarian dictatorship. His rule has been marked by endemic corruption and widespread human rights violations, including the imprisonment and suppression of political opponents, intimidation and censorship of independent media in Russia, and a lack of free and fair elections. Putin's Russia has consistently received low scores on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, The Economist Democracy Index, Freedom House's Freedom in the World index, and the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index.
Mali's ruling junta has suspended all political activities and banned the media from reporting on political parties and associations. The junta, which has experienced two coups since 2020, cited the need to preserve public order. The United States expressed deep concern over the restrictions, emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression and association. Mali has been facing political instability and an insurgency by jihadi groups. The ban on media reporting follows a series of delays in the country's transition back to democratic rule.
Air Niamey was an airline headquartered in Niamey, Niger and based at Diori Hamani International Airport.
The Niger national football team (French: Equipe de football du Niger) represents Niger in international football through the Nigerien Football Federation, a member of Confederation of African Football (CAF). Niger plays in the colors of the flag of Niger, white, green and orange. Their nickname comes from the Dama gazelle, native to Niger, the Hausa name of which is Meyna or Ménas The Dama appears on their badge in the colors of the national flag.
The Niger River ( NY-jər; French: (le) fleuve Niger [(lə) flœv niʒɛʁ]) is the main river of West Africa, extending about 4,180 kilometres (2,600 miles). Its drainage basin is 2,117,700 km2 (817,600 sq mi) in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in south-eastern Guinea near the Sierra Leone border. It runs in a crescent shape through Mali, Niger, on the border with Benin and then through Nigeria, discharging through a massive delta, known as the Niger Delta, into the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean. The Niger is the third-longest river in Africa, exceeded by the Nile and the Congo River. Its main tributary is the Benue River.
A drone, allegedly of Ukrainian origin, struck a Russian drone production facility, as part of a renewed Russian campaign targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine. The Trypilska power plant, a major supplier for Kyiv and other regions, was destroyed in the attack. Ukrainian Parliament passed a law to boost conscripts amid the ongoing war. Russian President Putin framed the attacks as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. Additional strikes damaged energy infrastructure in Kharkiv, leaving over 200,000 without power.
ABC News
AFP
By JESSICA DONATI
https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews
Al Jazeera
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