NIAMEY, Niger: The International Committee of the Red Cross has announced the closure of its offices in Niger and the departure of its foreign staff, four months after the government ordered the aid organisation to leave the African country.
“We reiterate our willingness to maintain constructive dialogue with the authorities of Niger with a view to resuming our strictly humanitarian protection and assistance activities,” Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, said in the statement.
In February, Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to shut down its offices and leave the country.
Since then, the ICRC had engaged in discussions with Nigerien authorities in an effort to understand the rationale behind the move and offer clarifications, but these attempts were ultimately unsuccessful.
On May 31, Niger leader Abdourahamane Tchiani addressed the issue on state television, claiming that the ICRC had engaged with ‘terrorist leaders’ and provided funding to armed groups—allegations that prompted the expulsion.
In a statement released Thursday, the ICRC firmly denied the accusations, stating that it engages in dialogue with all parties involved in conflicts to fulfill its humanitarian mission. The organisation emphasised that it “never provides financial, logistical, or any other form of support” to armed groups.
The humanitarian organisation had been operating in Niger since 1990, primarily assisting people displaced by violence, as well as those affected by food insecurity and natural disasters. According to the organisation, its efforts reached over 2 million people across the country.
Niger’s current military leadership came to power through a coup two years ago, marking the latest in a series of military takeovers across Africa’s Sahel region—a vast, arid area south of the Sahara that has become a centre of escalating violence.
Following the coup, Niger has distanced itself from traditional Western allies like France and the United States, shifting its security partnerships toward Russia.
In a similar move last November, the government barred the French humanitarian organisation Acted from operating in the country amid ongoing tensions with France.
