Niger’s military junta has banned the French aid organisation Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (Acted) from operating in the country, in a move that further strains relations with France.
The West African nation’s interior ministry issued a decree on Tuesday revoking Acted’s licence, although no explanation was provided for the decision. Another aid group, Niger’s Action for Well-Being (APBE), also had its licence withdrawn.
Acted had been working in Niger since 2010, focusing on assisting communities uprooted by jihadist violence and natural disasters.
The move to ban the group comes as Niger’s military rulers, who took power in a coup last year, continue to distance the country from Western partners. The junta has instead looked to Russia for security, expelling French troops who had been deployed to combat jihadists, along with the French ambassador.
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This follows a broader trend in the Sahel region, where several military takeovers have occurred amid rising extremist violence.
In September, the United States withdrew all its forces from Niger after the junta terminated an agreement that had allowed US troops to operate in the country.
Prior to the coup, Niger was considered the West’s last stronghold in the region for countering threats from jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
