Under your radar: Niger’s quiet coup
Whilst banners of Barbie, Trump and the war in Ukraine continue to grace our headlines, a crisis is unfolding in Africa. Whilst we as a nation rally behind the Matildas, millions struggle to identify with the shattered pieces of their democracy. For a country of 25 million people, the news of a major government shift is criminally under-reported. This crisis is the coup taking place right now in Niger.
On July 26th the country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and their commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta. A junta is a military or political group that rules a country after taking power by force, and this regime is just one in a long line of coups taking place across the continent. Over the last five years, there have been ten coups in Africa, with countless more attempts. This political instability is a trend that has been present since the official end of imperialism. Yet neo-imperial or neo-colonialism (the economic colonialisation still present in today’s society) continues to deplete Africa’s resources and widen the commercial gap between developed and developing nations. The USA functions as an important example of this as they have accumulated the largest network of treaties and contracts by utilising the power that comes with the world’s largest economy. Through financial aid and trade agreements, neo-imperial powers are able to influence governments and economies throughout their empires.
Whilst the great economic powers of the world grow through their influence on other nations, a cry for democracy within developing nations falls on deaf ears. Kwame Nkrumah – the first president of an independent Ghana warned of how “African state sovereignties can be reduced to mere ‘flag independence’ by external policy interference and economic control”. This concept is incredibly prevalent in Niger. As one of the world’s poorest countries it receives nearly 2 billion dollars a year in aid; yet this assistance has failed to lift the Nigerien economy out of poverty and reinforce democracy. Instead, the first democratically elected president in the country’s history has been removed from power and is currently being held hostage by a new junta.
As the situation continues to unfold, tensions rise between Niger and its neighbours. The junta is calling upon the Nigerien population to mobilise against Ecowas (an African council similar to NATO) and has called on their neighbour, Chad, to support their new government. The attempt for recruitment and the mobilisation of the army in support of the junta risks a regional war with Nigeria.
This truly is a crisis, yet awareness is incredibly hard to come by. Why should articles detailing each minor affair of celebrity life overshadow the struggle for liberty in our media? Many countries struggle for the liberty that we often take for granted. It is our responsibility to demand more from our media and more from ourselves so that we can be informed and raise awareness about these significant world events.
Will Barnett, Year 11