Niger 

The Economic Community of West African States lifted with immediate effect all sanctions imposed on the Republic of Niger, including the closure of its land and air borders with ECOWAS countries

Last week the country defaulted on a debt of 13,4 billion CFA francs ($22 million), the West African debt management agency said, bringing the total default to about $519 million since the July coup and its suspension from regional financial markets

The immediate release of the deposed President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, was called for by the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, who emphasised that it was important for 'Niger to get back on the road to democracy'

The former Niger state minister in charge of energy, Ibrahim Yacoubou, who has been in exile since the July 2023 coup, returned to Niger on Thursday: immediately arrested by the security services, he was taken to the Niamey remand centre

The Niger Football Federation has inaugurated the Fenifoot training academy for young people aged 12 to 15, after eight years of project gestation; it comprises 4 units: administrative, sports, pedagogical and health

France's counter-terrorism model in the Sahel came to an end as it withdrew all troops from the country, paving the way for an uncertain head-to-head between military regimes and jihadist groups

A committee of three leaders was set up over the weekend at the Ecowas summit in Abuja to negotiate with Niger's military junta on the transition to a democratic government

Niger and Burkina Faso have withdrawn from G5 Sahel, institutional framework for the coordination and monitoring of regional cooperation in development and security policies; with Mali retired last May, only Chad and Mauritania remain

The demonstration organised by the Front for Responsible Citizenship in defence of democracy and the rule of law, and for the release of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum have been banned by decree by the authorities of the city of Niamey

Niger fashion designer Alia Bare hopes to use her collection to spread a positive image of her troubled country, plagued by instability and economic sanctions

The economic consequences of the coup, in a country whose budget is heavily dependent on international aid, are already severe: sanctions decided by partners, such as the European Union, France, Germany or Luxembourg, are depriving Niger of $375 million

Niger's transitional military government has expressed its disagreement with some attempts to want to introduce LGBT+ rights in the country's education system