U.S. Says Niger Uprising Was a Coup, Limiting Aid to Counterterrorism Ally

Biden administration had hoped to avoid formal coup designation to preserve strategy to combat al Qaeda, Islamic State
The military junta behind the coup in Niger said they plan to prosecute ousted President Mohamed Bazoum for high treason. The junta has ignored international calls to reinstate Bazoum.

The U.S. on Tuesday formally designated this summer’s military uprising in Niger a coup d’état, a decision it had delayed for months in the hopes of avoiding another blow to its military strategy to combat al Qaeda and Islamic State in western Africa.

The designation triggers U.S. laws restricting assistance to militaries that oust elected leaders. In July, Nigerien officers seized power from civilian President Mohamed Bazoum, a staunch U.S. ally who remains imprisoned in his official residence in Niamey, the country’s capital.