Niger dumps the West

Meeting point every Tuesday around 5 p.m. in Agadez, the smuggling hotspot in northern Niger. Around 90 vans loaded with young men gather to be escorted to the Libyan border by the Nigerien military - all in an official manner. The passengers are registered and the drivers have to pay taxes. There is an exuberant atmosphere at the assembly point: vendors offer water, cola and sunglasses for the travelers. Such convoys existed until 2015, but were then discontinued. At the time, the EU put pressure on Niger to close the route to Libya due to the refugee crisis. Niamey passed a law banning any assistance for migrants north of Agadez. Thousands of people - from drivers to shelter operators - became unemployed because there were hardly any jobs and income opportunities outside of agriculture. From then on, people used more dangerous routes through the desert. The price of a journey rose to the equivalent of 455 euros per person, as smugglers took longer routes to avoid border patrols. Overall, border crossings decreased significantly. With the reopening of the official route, prices to Sebha, the first town in southern Libya across the border, have fallen to around 200 euros.

The change of course in Niger is, for the time being, the final chapter in the failure of the EU and the West to make a fresh start with the new military government following the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Until the overthrow, Niger was Europe's most important partner in the Sahel in the fight against jihadists and the restriction of poverty migration. The EU launched extensive aid programs. Germany and other EU countries sent soldiers to train Nigerien troops, and France also actively helped in the fight against jihadists. The break came with the coup. The EU followed the hard line of the West African bloc of states ECOWAS, which imposed sanctions and did not recognize the new rulers (at least until December 2023).

The full-length publication is only available in german.