NIGER: OIL EXPORT BLOCKADE IMPERILS ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, WHILE INSECURITY DETERIORATES

   Tue, 14 May 2024

Benin’s retaliatory blockade of an oil export pipeline imperils Niger’s buoyant economic outlook and could delay repayment of arrears on sovereign loans that defaulted last year. Meanwhile, the US has announced a total withdrawal of all troops from Niger following a diplomatic dispute with the country’s military authorities. The arrival of Russian forces is unlikely to compensate for the loss of US military assets, which will compromise the Nigerien security forces’ ability to counter the expansion of Islamist militant groups in the country’s border areas. Furthermore, in combination with the sustained increase in militant attacks in recent months, the involvement of Russian forces in counter-insurgency operations will likely coincide with an increase in human rights violations.

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