Niger’s military leadership has ordered the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to leave the country without delay.
The decision follows Niger’s recent withdrawal from ECOWAS and includes the termination of agreements with the humanitarian group.
Reports indicate that foreign staff have started departing after the ICRC shut its Niamey office on Tuesday.
Local media reports say the government directed the closure of the organisation’s operations and instructed international personnel to exit immediately.
No official reason has been provided for the directive.
The ICRC had operated in Niger since 1990, focusing on aid distribution to communities impacted by ongoing violence from extremist factions tied to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Since coming to power in a July 2023 coup, the ruling junta has made national sovereignty a central theme of its governance.
Relations with France, Niger’s former colonial power, have deteriorated, while the junta has strengthened alliances with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Russia.
In January, Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba announced stricter oversight of non-governmental organisations, claiming some were linked to external groups accused of fuelling instability.
“Our investigations have indicated there are many NGOs that are in close association with certain partners that are bringing us war… through their support to the terrorists,” he said.
Earlier, Niger revoked the permits of French aid organisation Acted and local NGO APBE in November.
Acted had been working in Niger since 2009, primarily assisting communities displaced by armed insurgencies.
Since assuming control, the military authorities have expelled French and US forces engaged in counterterrorism operations in the region, along with the French ambassador.
