U.S. pauses some foreign aid for Niger after president’s ouster

The United States is “pausing” some foreign assistance programs for Niger as the Biden administration continues to call for immediate restoration of its government, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Friday.

Blinken did not specify what aid will be suspended, calling it an “interim measure (that) does not impact all U.S. foreign assistance programs in Niger.” He said that “the provision of life-saving humanitarian and food assistance will continue.”

The announcement came with the approach of a Sunday deadline set by a group of West African countries demanding that a military junta that seized power last week in Niger stand down.

The Economic Community of West African States said it will consider military intervention if the deadline is not met.

The European Union suspended all security assistance and financial support for Niger within days after its presidential guard detained the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, and declared itself in charge.

Nonmilitary assistance this year is about $230 million, nearly half of which goes to food and medical supplies in one of Africa’s poorest nations. Much of that assistance does not go directly to the government but is distributed through the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations.

U.S. security aid to Niger totaled about $500 million over the past decade. Two American military bases and about 1,000 U.S. troops there partner with Nigerien forces for training and counterterrorism operations.

Blinken said diplomatic and security operations will continue “where feasible.”

The United States, he said, “will continue to review our foreign assistance and cooperation as the situation on the ground evolves consistent with our policy objectives and legal restrictions.”

Earlier this week, the State Department ordered the evacuation of nonemergency U.S. government employees and diplomatic families in Niger and advised all American citizens to leave the country.

While other countries have declared the military takeover in Niger a coup, the Biden administration has not, saying it believes there is still time to reverse the situation. U.S. law mandates the cessation of all aid to countries where a coup has taken place, although it allows the president to waive the requirement on national security grounds.