Niger announced overnight that it was reopening its borders with several of its neighbors, a week after a coup that has been condemned by foreign powers and raised fears of a wider conflict in West Africa’s Sahel region.
The land and air borders with Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Libya, and Chad are re-opened from August 1, 2023.
The move comes as Niger’s new military rulers seek to restore order following the ousting of President Mahamadou Issoufou in a coup last week. The coup has been widely condemned by the international community, with the African Union suspending Niger’s membership and the United States and European Union imposing sanctions on the country.
The reopening of the borders is seen as a positive step towards restoring stability in the region, which has been plagued by conflict and instability in recent years. However, concerns remain about the potential for further unrest in Niger and the wider Sahel region.
The situation in the west African nation remains fluid, with the military rulers promising to hold elections within a year but facing opposition from some political groups. The international community is closely monitoring developments in the country and calling for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
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