Military coup. Representational by pyae Htun on Unsplash
#militarycoup; #WestAfricancountry; #fundingtoNigersGovt
In the wake of a military coup in the West African country, Ottawa reportedly has announced it will stop providing financial assistance to Niger’s government, Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development jointly have announced.
Leaders of the military junta are faced with a Sunday dealine from Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS , to reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum or face possible foreign intervention.
A statement by Global Affairs Canada says that the coup is a serious threat to democracy and stability in the region and added that the Canadian government is suspending all direct funding to Niger’s government, but other assistance to vulnerable populations will continue.
Canada supports ECOWAS mediation efforts, and the democratically elected government must immediately be reinstated, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly has said in the statement.
A bilateral development deal signed with Niger in 2020 had been expected to reach an annual budget of $10 million per year by 2026, , says the Global Affairs Department.
In the 2021-2022 financial year, the program disbursed $2.71 million.
