Yearbook 2006
Niger. In one of the biggest corruption scandals in Niger's
history, two ministers were dismissed for embezzling the
equivalent of about SEK 13 million. of aid money that would
have been used for educational projects. Parliament decided
to set up a special court to investigate the two.
According to
CountryAAH, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine Le Républicain was sentenced to prison for 18 months and each
SEK 70,000. in fines for an article that was deemed to have
offended the Prime Minister. The head of government had been
accused of safeguarding more about good relations with Iran
than with the western world and not paying enough attention
to human rights issues.
On one day in June, the capital, Niamey, was hit by a
strike in protest against the poor access to community
services such as education, health care and water for the
majority of the population.
In October, the government announced that up to 150,000
nomads originally from Chad several decades ago would be
deported to their homeland. The reason was said to be the
competition for water in southeastern N. and the impact of
livestock herds on nature. After agitated reactions, the
order was changed to only about 4,000 people and was
subsequently withdrawn completely. But then the army was
said to have driven thousands into the desert without their
animals and their fate was uncertain.
Niger has since 2013 become a hub for France and the
United States warfare in Africa. Both countries use an air
base outside Niamey as the center for their drone flights
over Mali, Libya and Chad. The close cooperation dates back
to 2001, when the United States launched its global "war on
terror". Already at this time Niger was given an important
role to play in the activities of the superpower in the
Sahel.
Throughout 2013, Niger sought to get a better deal with
French group Areva, which mined the country's uranium. Areva
did not claim to be able to afford, but the group's turnover
of $ 13 billion. The US $ in 2013 was twice as large as
Niger's GDP, and while group revenue increased year by year,
Niger remained equally poor. The country therefore tried to
increase its royalties from 5.5% to 12%, which was closer to
the 13% Areva paid in Canada, but still a good deal from the
18.5% the group paid in Kazakhstan. Areva responded in
December 2013 by suspending production to put pressure on
Niger.
In mid-January 2015, police stormed four news
organizations and physically assaulted at least 8 reporters.
This happened in connection with demonstrations against
Charlie Hebdo's drawings in France and a demonstration
organized by the opposition. Just a week before, President
Issoufou had gone hand-in-hand with the French president and
demonstrated freedom of expression. Reporters Without
Borders protested against the attacks on Nigerian media.
During the demonstrations, at least 10 people were killed.
That same month, the UNHCR warned against repatriating
Nigerian refugees who had sought refuge in Niger. In
addition, the situation in Nigeria was too dangerous because
of Boko Haram's massacres.
Boko Haram stepped up its military activity in the Diffa
region in the country's southeast corner towards Nigeria and
Lake Chad. The organization conducted at least 20 attacks
during 2015, costing 190 civilians and 60 members of the
security forces life. Niger's military again responded with
a vengeance attack. In February, it bombed trucks carrying
smoked fish to Nigeria. A trade that is prohibited according
to. the state of emergency, as the government believes there
are deliveries to Boko Haram. That same month, a plane
bombed a burial ground in the village Abadam-Niger at the
border with Nigeria. It cost 36 lives. In September, the
High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about
both Boko Haram's and the Nigerian army's attacks on
civilians. In addition to the state of emergency, the
government went on attacks on human rights organizations,
journalists and closed several newspapers. At the same time,
the humanitarian refugee disaster worsened. By the end of
the year, there were 115,000 Nigerian refugees in the
country. In January and May, the government had expelled
thousands of refugees to Nigeria after allegations that they
brought Boko Haram's attack into Niger. At the end of the
year, there were 100,000 internally displaced people in
Niger.
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