Red Cross closes Niger offices and foreign staff leave after junta's expulsion order
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross announced the closure of its offices in Niger and the departure of its foreign staff, four months after the ruling junta ordered the organization to leave the country.
The ICRC confirmed the closure and departure in a statement on Thursday.
'We reiterate our willingness to maintain constructive dialogue with the authorities of Niger with a view to resuming our strictly humanitarian protection and assistance activities," Patrick Youssef, the ICRC's regional director for Africa, said in the statement.
In February, Niger's Foreign Affairs Ministry had ordered the ICRC to close its offices and leave the country. No official reason was given for the military junta's decision to shut down the organization's operations in the country at the time.
The ICRC said it had been in dialogue with Niger's authorities since February to understand the reasons for their decision and provide any necessary clarification but that these efforts were unsuccessful.
On May 31, Niger's junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, justified the ICRC expulsion on Nigerien state television, accusing the organization of having met with 'terrorist leaders' and funding armed groups.
The ICRC refuted the accusations in its statement on Thursday, saying that dialogue with all sides in the conflict is necessary to carry out its humanitarian mandate and that it 'never provides financial, logistical, or any other form of support" to armed groups.
The humanitarian organization had been active in the West African country since 1990, mainly helping people displaced by violence by Islamic extremists, food insecurity and natural disasters. According to the organization, it provided humanitarian aid to more than 2 million people in Niger.
Niger's military rulers took power in a coup two years ago, the latest of several military takeovers in Africa's Sahel, the vast, arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert that has become a hotspot for extremist violence by militant groups.
Since the coup, Niger has pulled away from its Western partners, such as France and the United States, turning instead to Russia for security.
Last November, the country's military junta banned the French aid group Acted from working in the country amid tensions with France.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Israel targets Iran's government, a notorious Tehran prison as Iran launches more attacks on Israel
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel hit Iranian government targets in Tehran on Monday in a series of strikes that followed a salvo of missiles and drones fired by Iran at Israel in the wake of the Trump administration's massive strikes on Iranian nuclear sites the day before. Israel's Defense Ministry said it hit targets including the notorious Evin Prison in the Iranian capital and the security headquarters of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guards. 'The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front,' the Ministry said. Iran's underground enrichment site at Fordo, which was one of those hit in Sunday's attack by the U.S. on three nuclear facilities, was also struck again on Monday, Iranian state television reported. There was no immediate word on damage or who hit Fordo. Nuclear fears mount after US strikes In Vienna, the head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said he expected there to be heavy damage at the Fordo facility already following the Sunday's U.S. airstrike there with sophisticated bunker-buster bombs. 'Given the explosive payload utilized ... very significant damage ... is expected to have occurred,' said Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. With the strikes on Sunday on Iranian nuclear sites , the United States inserted itself into Israel's war , prompting fears of a wider regional conflict. Iran said the U.S. had crossed 'a very big red line' with its risky gambit to strike the three sites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs . Several Iranian officials, including Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran removed nuclear material from targeted sites ahead of time. Grossi told the IAEA board of governors on Monday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had informed him on June 13 that Iran would 'adopt special measures to protect nuclear equipment and materials.' 'I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared,' Grossi said, without saying whether Iran had responded. Israel and Iran press their attacks Iran described its Monday attack on Israel as as a new wave of its Operation 'True Promise 3,' saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of damage. In Iran, witnesses reported Israeli airstrikes hit areas around Iran's capital, Tehran, around midday. Iranian state television confirmed one Israeli strike hit the gate of Evin Prison. The report shared what appeared to be black-and-white-surveillance footage of the strike. The prison is known for holding dual nationals and Westerners often used by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West. Evin also has specialized units for political prisoners and those with Western ties, run by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which answers only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The facility is the target of both U.S. and European Union sanctions. Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington its strikes had given Iranian forces a 'free hand ' to 'act against U.S. interests and its army.' Tens of thousands of American troops are based in the Middle East, many in locations within range of short-range Iranian missiles. Calls for de-escalation The U.S. described its Sunday attack on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities, as well as the Isfahan nuclear sit , as a one-off to take out Iran's nuclear program, but President Donald Trump has warned of additional strikes if Tehran retaliates. Mousavi described the American attacks as violating Iran's sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the country, the state-run IRNA news agency reported. In the wake of the American attacks, calls came from across the globe for de-escalation and the return to diplomacy to try and resolve the conflict. On Monday, the European Union's top diplomat said the bloc remained 'very much focused on the diplomatic solution.' 'The concerns of retaliation and this war escalating are huge,' Kaja Kallas said at the start of a foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels where Iran has jumped to the top of the agenda. 'Especially closing of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody,' Kallas said, referring to a maritime route crucial for oil transport. After Sunday's attacks, Iranian officials repeated their longtime threats of possibly closing the key shipping lane. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, previously agreed to limit its uranium enrichment and allow international inspectors access to its nuclear sites under a 2015 deal with the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in exchange for sanctions relief. But after Trump pulled the U.S. unilaterally out of the deal during his first term, Iran began enriching uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — and restricting access to its nuclear facilities. As he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a meeting with his EU counterparts, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul renewed calls for Iran to agree again to direct talks with the United States but says Europe still has a role to play. 'We already made it very clear to the Iranian side that a real precondition for a settlement to the conflict is that Iran be ready to negotiate directly with the U.S.,' he said, while adding that the European group known as the E3 'will contribute what we can.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was meeting on Monday in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Iran's key allies. ___ Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Ella Joyner in Brussels, Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna and Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Iran has a lot of options to hurt Western interests — but all carry a blowback, EIU economist says
Iran has a lot of options to hurt Western interests, but all options carry negative cost for the Iranian regime, says Cailin Birch, global economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
China's support for Tehran grows more restrained as U.S. enters war between Israel and Iran
As the U.S. rained bombs and missiles on Iran's nuclear sites on Saturday — entering the war between Israel and Iran — Beijing appears to be standing firm in its support of its long-standing ally in Tehran. However, its support will be tempered by its limited heft as a peace broker in the region, and potential upside if oil chokepoints squeeze the U.S. more than they hurt Beijing. Beijing has drawn closer to Iran in recent years, with the two countries cooperating regularly on military exercises and signing a 25-year strategic partnership in economic, military and security cooperation in 2021. Iran's population of nearly 91 million, far more than Israel's 9.8 million people, coupled with its abundant crude oil reserves, made it a natural partner in China's Belt and Road initiative, which the Global Times, a Beijing government mouthpiece, described as a way to "counter U.S. hegemony." China's primary economic interest lies in its access to Iranian oil and the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important trade routes for global crude oil flows. Some 20 million barrels per day of crude oil, or a fifth of global consumption, flowed through the strait in 2024, according to the Energy Information Administration. Half of Beijing's oil imports moved through the key route — using a system of workarounds to bypass Western banks, shipping services and yuan-denominated transactions to avoid triggering sanctions. China will likely keep its "hands off Iran in any case," said Neo Wang, lead China economist and strategist at Evercore ISI, due to its limited influence over Israel and its strategic calculus on Washington's intervention. Beijing is embroiled in a trade war with the U.S. and may find value in any chaos in the Middle East, which "would become a bigger distraction to Washington," Wang added. China pledged to support Iran in "safeguarding its national sovereignty" shortly after it was attacked by Israel on June 12, which Beijing condemned as a "violation of Iran's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." But despite that initial show of support for Iran, Beijing's rhetoric has shifted to become more measured, short of denouncing Israel's military actions but focused on brokering dialogue and a ceasefire. Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart in a phone call that Israel's strikes were "unacceptable," but refrained from remarks of "condemning" them in the call. In another sign of Beijing dialing back its rhetoric on Iran, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that it is in the international community's shared interest to maintain stability in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waterways. Beijing has largely avoided "direct condemnation of Israel while remaining diplomatically aligned with Iran," political risk consultancy firm Eurasia Group analysts said, as it seeks to "contain the tensions and prevent spillover of the conflict to the wider region — which could affect its economic and strategic interests." U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called for China to dissuade Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz. While many expect Beijing to do just that, some suggested a blockade of the chokepoint could be favorable for China, as it stands better prepared to absorb the blow than the U.S. and European Union, and that China could easily turn to other alternative oil sources. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China's primary oil sources are Russia, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Iraq and Oman, although a sizable portion of Malaysia's exports are actually relabeled or transferred from Iran. Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said "China will be happy to see a big spike in oil prices if that destabilizes the U.S. and Europe." Echoing that view, Andrew Bishop, global head of policy research at Signum Global Advisors, said: "China may not be that irate at paying more for oil from other sources, if it means the U.S. suffers even more." Iran's parliament Sunday backed the decision to close the strait, pending the final approval by its national security council. That sent the oil futures over 2% higher in early Asia hours. U.S. WTI crude rose more than 2% to $75.22 per barrel, while global benchmark Brent was up nearly 2% at $78.53 per barrel. While China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong had harsh words for the U.S. at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Sunday, Fu also singled out Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the hostilities. Although China appears to favor stability in the Middle East, it may benefit from U.S. involvement in the conflict. The U.S. strikes on Iran "handed China an important talking point: It's America, not China, that threatens the global order and peace," said Shehzad Qazi, managing director of China Beige Book. China may have hopes of acting as a peacemaker, building on its mediation of a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2023. Beijing hailed the reconciliation as a win for Chinese diplomacy and a sign that Beijing has emerged as a major power broker in the Middle East. But Israel would likely be skeptical of China's neutrality as a mediator because of its alignment with Iran and engagement with Hamas, an ally of Iran that attacked Israel in October 2023, and the possibility of angering the U.S., analysts said. "China has neither offered to mediate the conflict nor offered Iran any material support. Xi wants to, and will, have his cake and eat it too," said Qazi.
