Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised Niger’s post-coup government during a meeting with Nigerian Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine in Tehran on Thursday, as the Islamic Republic seeks to strengthen ties with African states.
Raisi said Niger has a “bright future” and praised the West African country’s “path of independence and freedom”, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Zeine arrived in Iran on Wednesday and was received by Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber. Officials from the two countries signed an agreement on political and economic cooperation and another on health after his arrival, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.
Nigerian general Abdourahamane Tchiani led a coup in July, ousting Western-backed president Mohamed Bazoum. The Tchiani-led junta appointed Zeine prime minister in August and he remains in power.
Zeine’s visit is the first to Iran.
Why it matters: The visit demonstrates Iran’s efforts to build ties with Niger after the coup. In addition to the cooperation deals, Mokhber said on Wednesday that Iran was willing to help Niger overcome punitive economic measures imposed by the West after the coup, saying his country was opposed to the “harsh sanctions imposed by the system of sovereignty”. reported France-Presse.
“We will certainly share the experiences we have in this area with our brothers” from Niger, he added, according to AFP.
Iran has been under heavy Western sanctions for years, while the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS, imposed sanctions on Niger after the coup. Under the sanctions, ECOWAS member states suspended trade with Niger and froze the country’s assets at the regional central bank, while Nigeria cut off electricity to the country. The US and EU also halted aid to Niger in response to the coup, and the World Bank suspended disbursements, according to Reuters.
Niger stands to benefit from increased cooperation with Iran as its ties with the West, particularly France, post-coup.
Iran’s cooperation with Niger represents somewhat of a shift in attitude towards the West African state’s internal crisis, with Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani initially calling for “calm and stability” as well as “internal dialogue” after the coup, according to semi-official Tasnim news agency. reported at the time.
A Raisi Axis: Unlike his predecessor, Hassan Rouhani, who did not visit the African continent during his two terms in office, President Ebrahim Raisi sought to improve ties with various African states. Raisi visited Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe in July. Iran’s trade with Africa has doubled since Raishi took office in 2021. One reason Iran is seeking stronger ties with Africa is to compete with China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he wrote in July Al-Monitor’s Tehran correspondent.
As part of the pivot to Africa, the Islamic Republic has confirmed that it is supporting the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso in addition to Niger. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Mali in 2022, following a coup the previous year.
In September, Raisi hailed the “resistance of African countries to colonialism and terrorism” during a visit by Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Olivia Ruamba, AFP reported at the time. Burkina Faso experienced a coup in 2022.
The Arab Gulf states have invested heavily in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, as has China. France, the former colonial power, has traditionally wielded considerable power in West Africa, but anti-French sentiment in the region is growing, particularly in Niger. In December, France withdrew its military forces from Niger at the request of the junta.
Russia has also moved to expand its influence in Niger and West Africa more broadly, filling the void left by France. Earlier this month, Russia and Niger pledged to boost military cooperation.
Increased cooperation between Iran and Niger could benefit both countries. Niger is one of the world’s largest producers of uranium and is responsible for about 5% of global production. Iran needs uranium for its controversial nuclear program.
ECOWAS sanctions have been the most damaging to Niger, having cut the country off from its main trading partners and exacerbated food insecurity, according to a December report by the International Crisis Group.
Learn more: Iran’s push into Africa can help the Islamic Republic limit the impact of sanctions, Dr. Bijan Khajehpour wrote in a note for Al-Monitor PRO in August.