Military Coup in Niger — West's Last Sahel Partner Falls

On July 26, 2023, General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, marking the sixth military coup in the Sahel since 2020. Niger had hosted approximately 1,100 US troops, a CIA drone base, and 1,500 French soldiers as a counterterrorism partner. The junta expelled French forces by end of 2023, prompting the US to reduce its presence in 2024. Niger joined Mali and Burkina Faso in the Alliance of Sahel States, withdrew from ECOWAS in January 2025, and stopped uranium shipments to France.