Niger's security was under the control of foreign forces until the military coup of July 26, 2023, the West African nation's defence minister has said.
“Our security structures were disorganised. The defence and security forces were well in place, but the system was such that these forces could not work in synergy,” Lieutenant general Salifou Mody told state television on Tuesday night.
This was “convenient … in particular for the foreign forces, particularly the French forces,” he said. It was a "state of insecurity."
“A certain number of experts found their way into the system, overstepping not only their responsibilities, but also meddling in matters over which they had no authority. It was practically a quackery of security that prevailed,” the minister added.
Security has 'improved significantly'
He said that for most of the Niger people “everything was fine because there was a whole set-up both internally and internationally, to make people believe that the situation was one of the best in the region.”
Niger is under military rule since July 26, 2023 and the administration is led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
The minister claimed Niger's security had “improved significantly” since the coup, despite the embargoes imposed by regional and Western allies.
Mody said that while combatting terrorism, Niger strengthened military cooperation with other countries.
Joint security force
Following the takeover, the administration cut diplomatic relations and military cooperation with France, its former colonial ruler, as did its neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali.
The three countries also withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and formed the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
The AES recently agreed to deploy a joint force of 5,000 soldiers to combat terrorism and to establish a regional investment bank as well as launch a joint online television and joint infrastructure projects.
This week, the alliance said common AES passports will be effective as of January 29, the date of the three countries' exit from ECOWAS, reassuring that “all useful measures will be taken to guarantee the effectiveness of the free movement of people and goods.”
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