Niger is not to be confused with Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Niger lies just to the north, part of the sprawling region directly below the Sahara Desert that for years has faced a growing threat from various groups of Islamic extremists.
Until Wednesday’s coup attempt in Niger, the United States' security ally had avoided the military takeovers that destabilized West African neighbors in recent years, and it was seen as the last major partner standing in a Francophone region where anti-French sentiment had grown.
