Global Affairs Canada Silent on Funding to Niger After Coup
Three days after Global Affairs Canada (GAC) condemned a coup d’etat in Niger, the department — which has provided hundreds of millions in "developmental assistance" to Niger over the last two decades — remains silent as to whether or not it will continue pumping large sums of money into the country.
Recent and similar events in neighboring Mali indicate the flow of Canadian dollars to Niger will unlikely subside; the only change will likely be the recipients.
The coup unfolded last week when Western-backed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was detained by members of Niger’s presidential guard, who announced a change of government.
Coup leaders named General Abdourahamane Tchiani as the new head of state. Expectedly, Western governments — which have meddled in African affairs for centuries — do not recognize him as such, and the continent's Western-backed hegemony is hellbent on stopping the attempted coup in its tracks.
Two weeks before Bazoum's dethroning, the President of neighboring Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, was made chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Following his appointment, Tinubu highlighted that the broader region has experienced five successful coups since 2020, further stating that he will not tolerate any more.
“We must stand firm on democracy,” he said, adding that “there is no governance, freedom, and rule of law without democracy.”
Fifteen days later, the coup leaders — supported by loud acclamation expressed by Nigeriens — removed Bazoum from power, prompting condemnation from ECOWAS and Western governments, including Canada.
“Canada condemns the coup attempt, which threatens the stability of Niger and the region,” said GAC in a Tuesday statement.
“The forcible seizure of power by elements of the defence and security forces compromises the peace, stabilization, and development efforts undertaken by the democratically elected government. Canada is committed to supporting democracy, inclusive governance, and the rule of law.”
No Comment on Funding
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) provided Niger with nearly $60 million in 2021-2022 alone. Moreover, the Canadian Armed Forces have been training the Nigerien military for the past decade under an initiative called Operation Naberius.
The US and France are also militarily active in the region. Both countries have military bases established in Niger and the US has two drone bases established in the country.
As mentioned, Global Affairs hasn't indicated whether or not it will axe its developmental assistance for Niger, which totalled more than $520 million from 2000-2020.
The department faced a recent, similar predicament in Mali, another major recipient of Canadian funding. Canadian taxpayers ponied up $1.6 billion in “developmental aid” to Mali during the aforementioned 20-year period, but following Mali's August 2020 military coup, Canada suspended “direct budgetary support” to the Malian government. However, it maintains “humanitarian assistance, bilateral development, and peace and security programming through trusted third-party partners.”
More specifically, Global Affairs injected $120 million into Mali-related initiatives a year after the coup. The department did not detail what became of the funding it provided to the Malian government before the takeover.
If the ongoing flow of hundreds of millions to Mali after its 2020 coup reveals anything, it is that the stream of Canada's money to Niger will unlikely subside. Rather, it will likely be diverted from Niger's government itself to "trusted third-party partners” that will, by Canada’s analysis, assist Nigeriens.
Similar to Mali, Global Affairs hasn't detailed the efficacy of its previous funding to Niger.
Sunday Deadline
The current government of Mali, in unison with the government of Burkina Faso, warned that any military intervention against the coup leaders in Niger would be considered a declaration of war against their nations.
“The transitional governments of Burkina Faso and Mali express their fraternal solidarity to the people of Niger, who have decided with full responsibility to take their destiny in hand and assume the fullness of their sovereignty before history,” the two countries said in a statement.
ECOWAS has since imposed sanctions on Niger and threatened to use force if the coup leaders do not reinstate Bazoum by Sunday, prompting applause from Canadian, American, and Western officials alike.
Further, the World Bank halted disbursements to Niger.
“The World Bank believes that peace, stability, and rule of law are fundamental for creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet. We are alarmed by efforts to overthrow the democratically elected government in Niger," it said in a statement.
Between 2022 and 2023, Bazoum's government received more than $800 million in direct budgetary support from the World Bank. One year prior, the World Bank received $700 million from Global Affairs Canada.
Niger is also the largest recipient of US military assistance in West Africa, having received an estimated $500 million USD since 2012.
While support for the coup among Nigeriens is evidently more prominent than US, French, and Canadian governments suggest, Ottawa maintains an ironclad, predictable stance.
Nearly 10,000 km from Niger, Canadian officials, in lockstep with Washington, reiterate that they know what is best for the African nation.
Photo credit: Politics Nigeria
