- Niger’s military government has ordered the United Nations coordinator in the country to leave within 72 hours.
- After the UN Secretary-General declined to allow Niger’s new foreign minister to represent the country at the UN General Assembly last month.
The military government claims that the UN Secretary-General’s actions were “likely to undermine any effort to end the crisis in our country.” However, it is also possible that the decision to expel the UN official is linked to France’s withdrawal of its troops from Niger after being ordered out by the coup leaders.
The expulsion of the UN official is a further sign of the deteriorating relations between Niger’s military government and the international community. The coup, which took place in January 2023, was widely condemned by the international community, and Niger has since been suspended from the African Union.
The expulsion of the UN official is also a blow to humanitarian efforts in Niger, where more than 4 million people are in need of assistance. The UN has been a major provider of humanitarian aid to Niger, and its expulsion is likely to make it more difficult to deliver aid to those in need.