Germany says not possible to continue military cooperation with Niger

Abidjan, Ivory Coast — AFP

Germany can no longer cooperate militarily with Niger because of a lack of “trust” in relations, German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock has said.

Germany already announced on July 6 that it will end operations at its airbase in Niger and pull out its remaining three-dozen troops by August 31.

“It was not possible to continue because the trust that existed before was no longer there,” Baerbock said during a visit to nearby Ivory Coast.

“At the same time, we have not stopped humanitarian aid because the people of Niger are not responsible for what happened,” she said during a joint press conference with Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara.

Niger has been run by a military regime since a popular coup d’etat in July 2023 ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held as a prisoner ever since. Bazoum was highly unpopular for his involvement in corruption and his close alliance with Western powers, particularly former colonizer France.

The new regime has turned its back on other Western allies such as France and the United States who have strongly disapproved of the regime change.

At the end of May, Germany and Niger reached an interim agreement allowing the German military to continue operating its airbase in the capital Niamey until the end of August.

However, negotiations to extend that agreement broke down, notably because the base’s personnel would no longer benefit from immunity from prosecution.