Nigeria, Niger ink security cooperation deal aiming to rebuild frayed security ties

Nigeria’s military and the junta in neighboring Niger have signed a new security agreement that aims to bolster regional stability and security a year after their normally positive bilateral ties soured after Niger’s coup in July 2023.
Despite strained relations and their shared border being closed as part of the sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria and Niger had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at “resuming and strengthening collaboration” on security, the Nigerian army announced on Thursday (29 August). As part of the deal, both countries “reaffirmed their commitment to resuming and strengthening collaboration, with a view to ensuring regional stability and security,” the Nigerian military said in a statement. Nigeria’s and Niger’s top military commanders had held talks and signed the MoU in the latter’s capital Niamey on Wednesday (28 August).
The coup in July 2023, which ousted Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, strained relations between both countries, caused divisions within the ECOWAS bloc and raised concerns about efforts to combat Islamist violence in the region. ECOWAS had even threatened the Niger junta with military intervention if diplomatic efforts to restore the democratic government failed, prompting Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali to withdraw from the 15-member bloc and form the Alliance of Sahel States instead. Despite these tensions, the military junta in Niamey did not withdraw but only significantly reduced its military participation in a Nigerian-led task force fighting the Boko Haram Islamist group in the countries’ shared border areas. But in the latest deal with Nigeria, Niger has “reaffirmed its readiness to resume active participation in security cooperation under the Multinational Joint Task Force,” according to the Nigerian military.