On July 26, 2023, Niger was thrown into political turmoil. A coup d'etat was announced on state television just hours after members of the presidential guard detained democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. 

The coup was led by the head of the presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, with support from elements of the nation's armed forces. 

When he took power two years ago, Tchiani justified the coup by citing growing insecurity, harsh economic conditions and what he described as excessive influence from Western powers, particularly the country's former colonial ruler, France.

Niger has experienced multiple military takeovers in the past, but this time was different: Many citizens took to the streets to show their support for the military leaders.

But in the two years that followed, some analysts say little has changed for the better. "In some cases, the situation has worsened," Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar, executive director of the West African Center for Counter Extremism, told DW.  

With the events of July 26, Niger joined the ranks of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which were already under military rule. In early 2024, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, announced its withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. The move marked a major shift in the region, deepening the divide between the military-led governments and the bloc pushing for a return to civilian rule.

Job losses in the nonprofit sector 

Niger's current leadership has forced many nongovernmental organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) — which had been assisting more than 2 million people affected by armed conflict — to shut down operations. 

For some Nigeriens, especially those who lost their jobs following the leadership change, life has become more difficult. 

"Right now, I'm suffering. It's been a year since we stopped," said Souley, 35, who lost his job as a nutrition researcher at a local NGO after the coup, in an interview with DW.

Mahamane, 32, also lost his position as an assistant coordinator at an NGO based in Tillaberi. "Right after the coup, funds weren't coming in regularly, and our activities were delayed," he said. "Finally, they decided to stop funding altogether."

"There is a very constricted space for civil society or NGO work, so there are a lot of job losses in that space," said Muqthar from the West African Center for Counter Extremism. 

Niger already struggles with high levels of youth unemployment. In 2023, the International Labor Organization estimated that about 23% of Nigeriens between the ages of 15 and 29 were unemployed — one of the highest youth unemployment rates in Africa.

 

Human rights abuses continue 

Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have accused the junta of cracking down on freedom of the press and expression in the media and civil society.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, a senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, said freedom of expression has been deteriorating in the country since the military leaders took charge. "Since the coup d'etat two years ago, authorities have shown a high level of intolerance. They have cracked down on the opposition, the media and civil society, and they are clearly rejecting any transition back to civilian democratic rule," Allegrozzi told DW.

"They have arbitrarily detained former President Mohamed Bazoum and his wife for two years. They have also arbitrarily arrested and detained dozens of other officials from the ousted government — people close to the former president, including ministers. And they have failed to grant them due process and fair trial rights," she said.

In its 2025 State of the World's Human Rights report, Amnesty International wrote that Niger has routinely violated "human rights to information and freedom of expression."

Although about 50 detainees were released from prison in April, the organization pointed out that "several others still languish behind bars on politically motivated charges."

In January 2024, the Press House (Maison de la Presse) — an umbrella group of 32 media organizations — was suspended and replaced by an ad hoc committee headed by the secretary-general of the Interior Ministry, according to Amnesty International.

Is a return to civilian rule still possible?

In March, the leader of Niger's military government, General Tchiani, was sworn in for a five-year term under a new charter that replaced the country's constitution. For many, it signaled that a return to civilian democratic rule is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

"In the beginning, we were talking about three years; now we are talking about five years. It's an indication that this regime is seeking to stay much longer than expected. And it is my estimation that they are probably going to stay much longer than even five years," said Muqthar.

Efforts by ECOWAS to help Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali transition back to civilian rule have so far failed.

Edited by: Sarah Hucal