Faith Nyasuguta
On Tuesday, Niger’s military government formally requested the West Africa regional court to issue an order for the removal of sanctions imposed by neighboring countries in response to the July coup, which ousted elected president Mohamed Bazoum.
“There is no sector of the Nigerien society that has not been affected by these sanctions,” which are currently affecting the world’s poorest countries, Younkaila Yaye, one of the government’s lawyers, argued at the hearing in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Following the overthrow of Bazoum by a faction identifying as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed a series of economic sanctions.
Additionally, nations such as the United States, which had previously offered assistance for health, security, and infrastructure, dismissed their support.
Ahead of the coup, aid accounted for almost half of Niger’s annual budget. Niger’s neighbours also closed their borders to the country, and more than 70 percent of its electricity, supplied by Nigeria, was cut off.
Financial transactions with West African countries were called off. Niger’s assets in external banks were frozen, and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid were withheld.
These sanctions, the strictest imposed by the regional bloc to curb coups in the Sahel, have had minimal impact on the government’s ambitions. Despite this, the administration has solidified its grip on power, while millions in Niger grapple with escalating hardships.
At the hearing, the state lawyers described the different ways the sanctions are hurting Niger: Children are unable to return to school because of limited supplies. Drug stores are running out of supplies. Businesses are shutting down because of rising costs.
Yaye pointed fingers at ECOWAS for punishing Nigeriens over the coup in ways harsher than it has handled coups in other countries, “especially regarding financial transactions”.
The state called on the court to relax the sanctions pending the final judgement. However, ECOWAS protested against their request.
Francois Kanga-Penond, the ECOWAS advocate, argued that the government is not recognised under the bloc’s protocol and does not have the power to institute such a case in court.
The court adjourned the matter until December 7.
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