How has Niger fared one year after change of government?

By Abdulwasiu Hassan

A year to this day — on July 26, 2023 — Niger experienced a sudden change of government with the military's removal of President Mohamed Bazoum from power.

Time seemed to stand still even as a series of events escalated in this multi-ethnic Hausa and French-speaking West African country of around 25 million people.

The weeks that followed seemed to hark back to the decades preceding it. It was the fifth military coup since August 3, 1960, when Niger gained independence from the French colonial regime.

French colonial shadow

Immediately after the military takeover, Western powers like France pressured Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani's military government to rescind its decision to wrest the reins from Bazoum.

Regional actors like the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the takeover and called on the military to reinstate the elected government.

President Emmanuel Macron of France described the takeover as "illegitimate", alleging that it would heap misery on Nigeriens and the people of the Sahel region.

Gen Tchiani's administration predictably defied Macron's threat, calling the bluff of a power that many in the region see as an albatross around the neck for erstwhile French colonies.

Around the same time, ECOWAS demanded the military to release and reinstate Bazoum as President or face sanctions and possibly even armed intervention.

Large pro-military rallies in Niger's capital city, Niamey, appeared to show that the tide had decisively turned by then. These scenes contrasted with pockets of pro-Bazoum resistance seen immediately after the government was toppled.

Something feels different

For a section of Nigeriens, the year since the military took over has been a period in which citizens have known "what it means to be free".

While the country broke the chains of French colonialism 64 years ago, Nigeriens like Abdou Dan Neito, a human rights activist from Maradi, believe it is only now that the spectre of foreign domination has been banished.

Tahirou Guimba, a politician based in Niamey, echoes Abdou's sentiments. "We are grateful to God, who showed us the end of the de facto colonial rule we endured for years," he tells TRT Afrika.

Laouali Houseini, a businessman, feels relieved that the coup was at least bloodless. "I guess it was meant to be. We are better off than some countries, and I thank God for that," he says.

As the country enters another year under military rule, there are varying opinions on what Gen Tchiani's administration has done right and what the roadmap should be.

"The thing I like is the fact that we have cut ties with the French, Germans and Americans. We have ended our dependence on foreign soldiers. The one thing citizens of this country do not want is to fall back in the hands of the old colonial masters," says Tahirou.

So, what does he want the military government to do next?

"My advice to the current leadership is to be just and fulfil the promises they made to the people," Tahirou tells TRT Afrika. "They should look to procure modern heavy weapons. These can be sourced from Türkiye, China or Russia."

For human rights activist Abdou, ensuring the availability of affordable food for all citizens should be a priority for the military administration.

Return to civil rule

While some Nigeriens continue to call for the reinstatement of Bazoum's government, another section doesn't want a return to what they see as "Western-style democracy."

Tahirou belongs to the school of thought that prefers civil rule tailored towards the culture and norms of the people of Niger instead of a so-called democracy steeped in corruption.

"The issue of when to return to civil rule doesn't bother us," Tahirou tells TRT Afrika.

"What matters to us is how we reform this country to become a nation. How do we design a democracy that aligns with our cultures and wisdom, not the thing founded by the West?"

Abdou argues that the process of returning to an elected government needn't be rushed lest it prove counterproductive.

"If I had the opportunity to meet Gen Tchiani for a one-on-one, I would suggest focusing on the reconciliation of society. We need everyone to sit together and chart a course for the future," he says.

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