Musings From Abroad

Germany now supports EU sanctions against Niger’s military junta

Published

1 year ago

August 17, 2023

German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock has revealed that her country now supports EU sanctions against the military junta in Niger.

The foreign ministry said Baerbock had held the talks with “the goal of re-establishing constitutional order” in Niger. Baerbock said she has held talks with African Union Chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, and other stakeholders about the coup in Niger.

“After the suspension of development cooperation and security cooperation, we in the EU now want to introduce sanctions against the putschists,” the statement added.

Subregional bloc, ECOWAS last week mandated a “standby force” for Niger. However, according to experts, a risky and challenging military action is not likely.

After General Abdulrahman Tchiani’s presidential guards deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, it drew interest worldwide.

Yesterday, German development minister, Svenja Schulze had said that the coup was “a setback that aggravates the complex development challenges in the country and in the Sahel further” and called “for the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and for the full restoration of constitutional order in the Republic of Niger”.

Germany has played a vital role in the development of Niger. Between 1962 and 2022, around one billion euros in development funding were dispersed, with the top priorities being food security, governance, education, health, migration management, and employment.

Related Topics:Annalena Baerbock Featured Germany

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Musings From Abroad

Nigeria, India to strengthen counterterrorism, maritime security cooperation

Published

1 hour ago

November 18, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

During a state visit to Nigeria on Sunday, Indian Prime Minister, Narendra, Modi reached an agreement, on behalf of his country, to strengthen cooperation in counterterrorism, intelligence, and maritime security.

President Bola Tinubu invited Modi to visit Nigeria, the first Indian prime minister to do so in 17 years.

Tinubu is looking for investments from some of the largest economies in the world.

In addition to discussing economic development, defence, healthcare, and food security, Modi and Tinubu met at the presidential mansion on Sunday after arriving in the capital, Abuja, on Saturday night, according to a joint statement.

The two nations decided to work together to protect maritime trade routes and fight piracy in response to the mounting risks in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea.

The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria, is looking to attract more Indian investment and lower-cost credit lines in order to strengthen its economy and generate employment.

Nigeria announced last year that it had obtained about $14 billion in pledges from Indian businesses, including Jindal Steel and Power, which promised to spend $3 billion in Nigeria’s steel industry, during the G20 conference.

Over 200 Indian businesses are present in Nigeria.

Modi was scheduled to go to Brazil for this year’s G20 conference after Nigeria.

Nigeria and India have a long-standing and cordial bilateral relationship. Nigeria, home to more than 200 million people, and India, home to 1.3 billion people, are both sizable emerging nations with multilingual, multiethnic, and multireligious communities.

Musings From Abroad

Military advisors from Russia arrive Equatorial Guinea

Published

21 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Russian military advisors are in Equatorial Guinea training indigenous soldiers.

Anonymous sources cited by Reuters during the week claim that between 100 and 200 Russian instructors are training with elite guards in charge of guarding the President and the first family.

The males had been seen in Malabo, the country’s capital, and Bata, its second city. Reports of Russian forces stationed in the nation initially appeared in August.

Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has maintained close relations with Moscow.

Nguema travelled to Moscow in September to attend the Russian Energy Week International Forum.

Russia has strengthened military connections with African countries, sending advisors and combat soldiers to the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

Faced with an Islamist terrorist insurrection, three Sahel countries have turned to Moscow for support, expelling French and American troops.