Iran vows to help Niger overcome sanctions

Iran has proposed to help Niger surmount economic sanctions it has been under since July 26 after incumbent leader General Abdourahamane Tiani removed Mohamed Bazoum in a military coup.

The offer was made Wednesday January 24 by Iran’s first Vice-President Mohammad Mokhber during a meeting with Niger’s visiting Premier Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, reports say.

“We will definitely share the experiences we have in this field with our brothers [from Niger],” Mokhber said.

The Iranian top official expressed Teheran’s rejection of “the cruel sanctions which are imposed by the domination system.” The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) slapped various sanctions on Niger to force Tiani to surrender power, but the punitive actions failed to yield expected results.

The ECOWAS even wielded a military intervention to reinstate Bazoum but the new Niger authorities buffered the threat.

Mahaman Zeine, a civilian, began last week an international tour that started in Russia, in view of notching new cooperation as Niger seeks to diversify partners after scaling down ties with former colonial power France.
During Zeine’s stop in Iran, the two countries signed a number of documents on cooperation in trade, economic, banking, cultural, educational, healthcare and construction sectors.

They also agreed to launch activities of Iranian high-tech companies in Niger.