Skip to content

Niger

France Is A State Sponsor Of Terror, AES Countries Declare

“Terrorism is being used” by imperialist forces “to pillage African resources,” said Burkina Faso’s Prime Minister Rimtalba Ouédraogo in his address at the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA). “A case in point is France,” whose troops Burkina Faso expelled in early 2023. Mali, which had also expelled French troops the year before, had sought a meeting of the UN Security Council in 2022, “so that my country could provide irrefutable proof of France’s support for terrorist activities,” recalled its Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maïga in his address. “So far, this request has not been followed up on,” while France continues its “sabotage”.

AES Countries Exit ICC, Denounce It As Instrument Of Neo-Colonial Repression

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) announced its immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, condemning it as a tool of “imperialism”, silent about the worst crimes by the West and its allies while selectively pursuing its opponents. Ratifying the Rome Statute in the early 2000s, its three member countries – Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – have been members of the ICC for over three decades. “However, over time, they have come to observe that this jurisdiction has transformed into an instrument of neo-colonial repression in the hands of imperialism, thereby becoming the global example of selective justice,” states the AES communique on September 22.

Niger’s Revolution Against French Neocolonialism Enters Third Year

Under siege by France’s monetary strangulation and a war against their state by armed groups, Nigeriens marked the second anniversary of the July 26 revolution against French neocolonialism. The wave of mass protests against French military deployment in its former colonies had already washed away the regimes it had propped up in Mali and Burkina Faso when Niger’s then-president, Mohamad Bazoum, was also toppled in a coup on this date in 2023. With the support of pan-Africanists, the left, and the mass movement protesting against French domination, the coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) as a military government.

Niger Nationalizes Uranium Mining Company

After taking other initiatives aimed at better controlling and managing its natural resources, Niger has announced that it will nationalize the mainly French-owned company that has been mining uranium in that African country for decades. In question is Somair, the only uranium mine still in operation in the country. Somair was operated by Orano (formerly called Areva), a French multinational specializing in nuclear fuels. Orano had already had its rights to export Nigerien uranium and its operational control of the company withdrawn. The authorities in Niamey, Niger’s capital, explained their decision by accusing Orano of “irresponsible acts,” namely extracting more than its authorized share of uranium.

Using Lessons From The Horn Of Africa To Protect Alliance Of Sahelian States

The Sahel region, stretching between the Sahara and the savannas of Africa, is once again emerging as a battleground, not only of geography but of ideas, sovereignty, and neocolonial entrenchment. The formation of the Alliance of Sahelian States (AES) , uniting Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger into a confederation, marks a bold attempt to reclaim Pan-African agency and assert sovereignty free from foreign domination. Officially established on July 6, 2024, in Niamey, Niger, the AES reflects a transitional phase toward a unified federation, a development met with celebration across Africa and the Global South, but with growing alarm in Western capitals.

Planting Seeds Of Sovereignty: Lessons From The Sahel And Beyond

As the U.S. doubles down on tariffs and trade wars, African nations—particularly in the Sahel—find themselves at a critical juncture. The West calls its protectionism “economic security” and “national interest.” But when African states make similar moves to assert control over their land, labor, and futures, they are labeled authoritarian, unstable, or dangerous. Sovereignty for the West is lauded. Sovereignty for the South is a threat. The truth is that protectionism has always been political. From Alexander Hamilton’s “infant industry” policies in the U.S. to South Korea’s strategic shielding of domestic industries in the 1960s and 1970s, protectionism has never been about fairness.

The Arrogance Behind AFRICOM’s Strategy

The deterioration of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) ’s security partnerships across the Alliance of Sahel States reveals a consistent pattern of U.S. diplomatic arrogance, with two recent explosive incidents exposing a growing rift between Washington and African leadership in the Confederation of Sahel States. As the Trump administration moves to downgrade AFRICOM and slash diplomatic engagement, Niger’s defiance looks less like an outlier and more like a blueprint for African sovereignty. In March of 2024, the U.S. delegation to Niger, including Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee and AFRICOM commander General Michael Langley, made a critical miscalculation during their March 12-13 meetings.

Sahel States Exit ECOWAS, Launch Regional Passport And Joint Military

Just a year ago, on January 28, 2024, the military leaders of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger publicly declared their intent to withdraw from the regional economic bloc. This announcement was a historic point in the Sahel’s political shift, as the three countries continue to push for sovereignty, regional security, and economic autonomy. The withdrawal took effect on January 29, 2025, as confirmed by ECOWAS. On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, the streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, came alive with celebration as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) marked the first anniversary of their historic decision to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

What’s Happening In Niger?

“Homeland or death, we will win.” This sign stands in the Place de la Patrie, one of the cradles of the popular struggle against France in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Today, it serves as a meeting point where people gather, chat, and watch the movement on Boulevard Zarmaganda, home to the headquarters of the first popular committee supporting the Nigerien army. “It used to be called Place de la Francophonie. Today, it’s Place de la Patrie because this is the birthplace of the patriotic struggle for complete national sovereignty. A week after the coup d’état, we moved here.

Africa And Russia: The Anti-Imperialist Partnership For Our Future

Neo-colonial governments have been toppled in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger (henceforth “the Alliance of Sahel States”). Revolutionary governments, backed by popular movements, have seized power and resurrected the flame of revolution in Africa. From the outbreaks of the rebellions that toppled neo-colonialism to today, it is common to see the people raising Russian flags along their national flags. For Africans, Russia represents a win-win cooperation and a partner against Western hegemony. Despite Western media’s desperate strategy to paint Russia as an imperial power and a colonial force that Africans should be wary of, a thorough study of history and a proper understanding of imperialism demonstrates that Russia has never been an imperialist or a colonial force in Africa, nor is it now.

France Must Go From Africa Is The Slogan Of The Hour

A cascade of anti-French sentiment continues to sweep across the belt of the Sahel in Africa: joining Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, Chad and Senegal demanded in November that the French government withdraw its military from their territories. From the western border of Sudan to the Atlantic Ocean, French armed forces, which have been in the area since 1659, will no longer have a base. The statement by the foreign minister of Chad, Abderaman Koulamallah, is exemplary: ‘France… must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured, and that Chad is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty’.

Delegation From Alliance Of Sahel States Visits Cuba

From November 8 to 15, twelve people from the countries of the Sahel visited Cuba to meet with Cuban people who carry forward the revolutionary project, and learn about Cuba’s socialist model and deep friendship with the peoples of Africa. The delegation sought to learn lessons from Cuba’s decades-long revolution to help advance the new revolutions being constructed in the Sahel. This was the first delegation of Africans traveling to Cuba from the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a Pan-African anti-imperialist confederation consisting of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

Imperialism And The Destabilization Of The Alliance Of Sahel States

Since the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, during 2023, the governments of France and the United States along with their surrogates have sought to undermine the political and economic objectives of these developing nations. When the military Committee for the Safeguard of Our Homeland (CNSP) took power in Niger last year on July 26, Paris and Washington sought to have members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stage a military intervention into this uranium-rich country to reimpose the French and U.S.-backed ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

People Of Sahel Inspire Global Movement Against Imperialism

Shouts of “Free, Free Palestine” and “Down with Imperialism” rang through the streets of Niamey as anti-imperialists from Niger and around the world marched together against Israel’s genocide on Thursday, November 21. The march culminating in the landmark Thomas Sanakra Memorial came at the conclusion of the three-day Conference in Solidarity with the Peoples of the Sahel, organized by the Pan-Africanism Today Secretariat and the West African People’s Organization. The march was no symbolic event. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have been in the frontlines of the struggle against imperialism over the past few years.

Imperialism And The Destabilization Of The Alliance Of Sahel States

Since the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, during 2023, the governments of France and the United States along with their surrogates have sought to undermine the political and economic objectives of these developing nations. When the military Committee for the Safeguard of Our Homeland (CNSP) took power in Niger last year on July 26, Paris and Washington sought to have members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) stage a military intervention into this uranium-rich country to reimpose the French and U.S.-backed ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
assetto corsa mods

Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

Online donations are back! Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

Online donations are back! 

Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

Sign Up To Our Daily Digest

Independent media outlets are being suppressed and dropped by corporations like Google, Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our daily email digest before it’s too late so you don’t miss the latest movement news.