Niger’s military junta caught the aid world off guard by ordering the International Committee of the Red Cross to stop operations and pull out its foreign staff from the country, showing a new direction in the Sahel’s stance toward international organisations.
The Nigerien Foreign Ministry delivered the news through a diplomatic note dated 31 January, 2025. The timing stood out, as it coincided with the organisation’s publication of its latest activity report outlining Red Cross assistance to over 120,000 people affected by regional conflicts. The Red Cross offices in Niamey closed their doors the following day.
Over the years, Niger’s government steadily removed international groups. The Red Cross had worked in Niger since 1990, growing its presence in 2007 during the Nigerien Movement for Justice rebellion. Local volunteer groups coordinated blood donation drives while the organisation delivered food to communities in need.
Government Links Foreign NGOs to Security Threats
Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba declared: "Our investigations have indicated there are many NGOs that are in close association with certain partners that are bringing us war through their support to terrorists."
The government offered no specific evidence to back up these claims against the Red Cross.
The critical attitude towards foreign NGOs ties in with the changing climate in the Sahel. Niger joined with Burkina Faso and Mali to form the Alliance of Sahel States, leaving the Economic Community of West African States in January. The three countries now control an area that would make them Africa’s largest territory if united.
Political scholar Franklin Nyamsi spoke of the Red Cross removal as cleaning house: "Nigerien authorities have found subversive aspects in Red Cross activities."
Nyamsi praised the government’s “boldness” in confronting such a well-established organisation.
Aid Organisation Expulsions: Military Crackdowns
The aid group joins other humanitarian groups forced out in recent times.
Last November, Niger banned both the French Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development and its local partner Action Pour le Bien-Être. These expulsions followed disagreements about European Union humanitarian funding being allocated without government consultation.
Few countries have acted against the Red Cross. Nicaragua removed the society in 2023, blaming it for unrest during 2018 protests. Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants blocked its work in 2012, saying food deliveries were unfit for consumption.
The Taliban government briefly stopped its activities in Afghanistan in 2019 over vaccination campaigns. In 2024, Israel moved to restrict Red Cross access to Palestinian prisoners, suspending all visits to approximately 10,500 detainees.
Food Crisis Deepens as Oversight Tightens
The decision troubles aid workers and their respective organisations.
Doctors Without Borders notes that sanctions after the July 2023 military takeover have left 3.3 million Nigeriens without enough food. The Red Cross had been one of few international groups still operating across the country’s conflict zones, providing medical care and helping vulnerable communities.
Niger’s answer? The government created a new committee to supervise NGOs, pointing to stricter oversight of humanitarian work ahead. This follows General Toumba’s statements about watching development organisations more closely.
The Red Cross expulsion shows Niger’s new approach to international groups. The military government already sent home French and American troops, cut contact with former colonial power France, and left the regional bloc: ECOWAS.
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