Good morning.
Just a few months ago, the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, visited Niger and called it a “model of democracy” in the region. Last week those words seemed rather foolhardy, as reports began to emerge of a military coup under way. On Wednesday morning, the country’s presidential guard, a group who were supposed to protect democratically elected leader President Mohamed Bazoum, blockaded the presidential palace. Soldiers appeared on state TV to announce they had removed the president from power, seized control of the government and suspended the constitution. And on Friday, the commander of the guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, declared himself the leader of Niger in a televised address.
Anti-coup protests erupted in the normally peaceful capital city of Niamey, but the junta acted quickly and violently to quell dissent. A nationwide curfew was announced and the borders were closed.
It was a bitter blow for western countries, particularly France and the US, who for a decade have viewed Niger as a reliable partner because of the relative stability it held in a region marred by terrorism, violence and coups. The UN suspended its humanitarian operations in Niger and aid was halted, with Britain announcing it was ceasing all “long-term development assistance”. The unstable situation is only further complicated by Niger’s geopolitical importance to the west and Russia’s looming presence in the surrounding region.
Today’s newsletter examines the fraught situation in Niger and the far-reaching consequences if another country in the Sahel region is taken over by the military. That’s right after the headlines.
Five big stories
Climate crisis | Rishi Sunak has pledged to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas reserves as he revealed a new round of intensive North Sea drilling, which experts said could be catastrophic for global heating.
War on Ukraine | Within the last few hours Russian air defences shot down “several” drones again targeting the Moscow region, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, with one hitting a tower that had also been struck on Sunday.
Asylum | The Home Office has been forced to delay moving people seeking asylum on to a controversial giant barge in order to carry out last-minute fire safety checks amid concerns the vessel has not received approval from inspectors.
Land rights | Wild camping is once again allowed on Dartmoor after the national park won a successful appeal against a ruling in a case brought by a wealthy landowner.
Television | Angus Cloud, the actor best known for his role on HBO’s teen drama Euphoria, has died aged 25, his family confirmed on Monday. Cloud died on Monday at his family home in Oakland, California. No cause of death was given. His father had recently died, the statement said, and the actor “intensely struggled with the loss”.
In depth: Everything you need to know about the coup
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The key players
Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, who also goes by the first name of Omar, has emerged as the leader of the coup and declared himself the head of Niger’s transitional government. Tchiani (pictured above) has been in charge of the presidential guard since 2011 – the group was tasked with protecting the president and guarding against military takeovers, just like the one they orchestrated.
The man he was supposed to protect, Bazoum, was elected in 2021, winning more than 55% of the vote. He was the country’s first leader to come to power in a peaceful transition since Niger’s independence in 1960. He had played a critical role in the previous government, as an interior minister and a right-hand man for the former president Mahamadou Issoufou. Reports indicated that Bazoum was planning to reorganise the elite force, which included removing Tchiani from his role as head of the group – Tchiani clearly beat him to the punch.
After several days of silence on his wellbeing, it seems as though the presidential guard has kept its word when they said they would not harm Bazoum. An image emerged yesterday showing the leader smiling broadly with Mahamat Idriss Déby, the president of Chad. Déby met with Bazoum in his presidential residence in Niamey, where he is reportedly being held, as well as with the leaders of the coup.
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What sparked the coup?
The junta has justified its actions by claiming that it was in response to the “continuing deterioration of the security situation”, adding that the president’s measures did not go far enough to protect Niger. For a number of years, Niger, like many countries in the Sahel, has faced a growing problem with Islamist insurgencies linked to Boko Haram, al-Qaida and Islamic State, particularly in the tri-border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. The putschists also pointed to the country’s collapsing economic position as another reason.
However, reports show that despite frequent militant attacks, Niger has been comparatively successful in keeping such violence at bay. According to the BBC, the number of deaths in Niger was markedly lower than Mali and Burkina Faso, which have both had military coups. Those coups in neighbouring countries have not helped end such violent, in fact there has been an increase in deaths from jihadists since the military takeovers.
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The impact on the Sahel region
Even though the takeover has so far been a bloodless one, this coup will have far-reaching consequences for Niger, its democracy and the Sahel as a whole. The region, which includes Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Senegal, Nigeria, Sudan and Eritrea, has been marred by political instability, violent insurgencies and the debilitating effects of the climate crisis. The deteriorating humanitarian situation is compounded by acute food insecurity and has created one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world.
Niger sits at the centre of this region, and before this coup presented itself as a bastion of stability. It has been suggested that the uprising could threaten to “unwind democratic gains not just in the Sahel region but in the broader western Africa” because of the growing volatility.
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The international response
Tchiani and his group have not been recognised internationally by any countries as the lawful leaders of Niger. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has been unequivocal in its response to the coup. Not only has it suspended ties with Niger and agreed to immediate financial sanctions, it has also authorised the possible use of force if Bazoum is not released and reinstated within a week.
France, Niger’s former colonial power, has said it “will not tolerate any attack on France and its interests”. The military junta has also accused France of plotting military intervention to reinstate the president – the French foreign minister has emphatically denied any such intention.
France has also cut off financial support, alongside Britain and the rest of the EU, a move that will hurt Niger as it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Blinken offered the ousted president his “unflagging support” during a phone call, adding that the military coup threatens the hundreds of millions of dollars in economic support the US provides Niger.
The only person who seems to be welcoming the news is Wagner private military group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who reportedly denied responsibility for the takeover but praised it as an anti-colonial struggle and offered the Moscow-backed mercenary group’s services to bring order to the streets of Niger. This is not surprising, considering that the other military-led governments in the region have been developing closer ties to Russia after their own coups.
The new leadership has been welcomed in some quarters of Niger, with thousands marching through the streets of the capital to denounce France’s involvement in their country, chanting Vladimir Putin’s name and waving large Russian flags. The demonstrators converged on the French embassy, throwing stones at the building and setting fire to its doors. The images were troubling to western powers, especially as the Wagner group has a growing presence in the Sahel region, particularly in Mali. And Moscow has been known to take advantage of instability and power vacuums in parts of west Africa to steadily build its presence on the continent.
However, there is, as of yet, no concrete indication that Russia will be stepping in – the Russian foreign ministry has even called for Bazoum to be released. The fear in the west is that this stalemate will not last and that if the president continues to refuse to resign, Tchiani will try to consolidate his power by ushering in support from Russia, leaving the US and France with no ally in the region.
What else we’ve been reading
“For many years, it was: ‘Why me? But I don’t ask that question any more”: for the latest in the Guardian’s How I survive series, Coco Khan speaks to Martine Wright (pictured above), who was on the Circle line on the day of the 7/7 bombings 16 years ago, and whose outlook on life is truly remarkable. Hannah J Davies, deputy editor, newsletters
ICYMI: Nesrine Malik’s column this week is a sombre one with an urgent central message: displacement may seem like a far away issue but if the wildfires in the Mediterranean showed us anything it is that the climate crisis is coming for us all. Nimo
Puff away: Shivi Ramoutar has some inspiration for fans of flaky pastry, including a delicious-sounding tomato galette with basil chilli drizzle. Hannah
I loved this photo essay by Olivia Harris who has been capturing the growth of women’s skateboarding. She spoke to young women and girls across London about what drew them to the hobby. Their quotes are put alongside their stunning, warm portraits. Nimo
As a recent reader of Bessel van der Kolk’s hit book The Body Keeps the Score, I was very interested in this bumper New York Magazine (£) profile of the psychiatrist and author, centred on the increasing mainstreaming of trauma theory. Hannah
Sport
Cricket | England have won a dramatic fifth Test against Australia to draw the Ashes series. Stuart Broad took his last two wickets in the final match of his Test cricket career. England 283 & 395 all out; Australia 295 & 334
Football | Women’s World Cup hosts Australia have secured a berth in the last 16 with a four-goal thrashing of the Olympic champions Canada. Hinata Miyazawa scored twice as Japan secured top spot in Group C, defeating Spain 4-0. Zambia had a 3-1 win over Costa Rica – both sides are out of contention for the knockout stage – while Nigeria progressed to the last 16 after a goalless draw against the Republic of Ireland who were already out. England will play China later in the day.
Sailing | Sailing coaches at the world youth championships in Volos, Greece have been lauded for helping rescue more than 130 people from wildfires. The coaches helped to evacuate residents stranded on a beach after fires blocked exits from the area to the mainland.
The front pages
“Dismay as PM vows to ‘max out’ UK fossil fuel reserves” says the Guardian’s front page this morning. “Oil be back” – the Metro on the same topic. “Just stop Sunak” pleads the Daily Mirror, as the PM goes bullish on fossil fuels despite “world’s hottest July”. “Shut down” – the Daily Mail claims some vindication for its investigation of “corrupt migration lawyers”. The Times has “Shoplifters face prison under crime crackdown” while the Daily Telegraph says “Lockdown ‘harmed nearly half’ of children”. “Banks warned: you can’t rip off savers any more” – that’s the Daily Express, claiming an overhaul of the industry as its own victory. Bigger things to worry about in the i: “AI weapons ‘will pose risk to humanity’”. “Approval for mortgages and consumer credit jump” as borrowers “defy rates” says the Financial Times.
Today in Focus
Why is Hollywood on strike? And why Succession’s Brian Cox is joining them
Production on Hollywood films and hit TV shows has ground to a halt. Apart from the stars on the picket line, how is this strike different from other labour disputes?
Cartoon of the day | Nicola Jennings
The Upside
A bit of good news to remind you that the world’s not all bad
Palestinian designer Yasmeen Mjalli believes that “fashion is inherently political”, and uses her sustainable clothing company Nöl Collective to illustrate the point. She teams up with local women’s cooperatives in places such as the besieged city of Gaza, 50km from her home in Ramallah, to make clothes with traditional designs such as the Unesco-recognised Palestinian embroidery called tatreez. This form of stitching was once used to signal a woman’s marital status or place of origin but, as Niloufar Haidari writes in an interview with Mjalli, “became a political symbol of resistance and displacement” during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Activism through craft as a way to engage with younger people is implicit in Mjalli’s work: “This generation is more open to that idea because it’s inextricably connected with climate change, but how can we take that one step further – how it intersects with women, or with labour conditions, or with economic frameworks,” she says. “The goal is to have customers thinking about fashion in an intersectional framework, to realise there is more than one element to this.”
Sign up here for a weekly roundup of The Upside, sent to you every Sunday
Bored at work?
And finally, the Guardian’s puzzles are here to keep you entertained throughout the day – with plenty more on the Guardian’s Puzzles app for iOS and Android. Until tomorrow.
