Background and Consequences of the Military Coup in Niger

• Deutsch

Niger was considered the last anchor of stability in the Sahel until 26 July 2023. Then the Western-trained army seized power - and has the support of much of the population. Tensions over the security crisis and the government's lack of legitimacy facilitated the coup and contributed to its success.

doi:10.18449/2023MTA-PB20

• Zum Volltext (PDF) | 259 KB

Self-defense Militia Groups in Niger: Risking a Time Bomb

While Niger’s pre-coup government took measures to control the self-defense militia garde nomade in Tahoua, it neglected the zankai in Tillabéri. European policymakers must understand the risks posed by the emergence of ethnic militias. Niger’s transition government should learn from its predecessor.

doi:10.18449/2023MTA-PB17

• Zum Volltext (PDF) | 362 KB

• Lena Gutheil
• Margit van Wessel

Starting from the South – Why we Need to Rethink Civil Society Collaborations and Funding Structures

• Deutsch

Collaborations between civil society organisations in the development sector are often driven by priorities set in donor countries. In this Spotlight, Megatrends Afrika talked to Margit van Wessel, Wageningen University, about ways to make civil society collaborations more equal.

• Lisa Tschörner
• Moussa Tchangari

Niger’s civil society in protest: “Europe should take the opinions of the people seriously.”

• Deutsch

The French military operation Barkhane has concluded its withdrawal from Mali on 15 August 2022. As it relocates partially to neighbouring Niger, civil society has risen in protest there as well. Additionally, President Mohamed Bazoum’s announcement to increase the Diesel price ignited a public outcry. Megatrends Afrika spoke with Moussa Tchangari, secretary general of the Nigerien non-governmental organisation Alternative Espaces Citoyens (AEC), about the reasons for social discontent, new forms of protest, and possible ways out of the current security crisis.

Civil society participation in urban governance in Africa. Supporting CSOs’ political voice for a transformation of citizen–state relations

• Deutsch

Urbanisation offers great potential for Africa’s economic and social development but the rapid transformation is also putting a strain on Africa’s cities. Citizens have long demanded participation in urban governance that goes beyond elections. Although participatory processes have become increasingly evident, they are still far from being institutionalised at scale. This policy brief argues that participatory processes need to be thoroughly embedded in politics in order to move beyond particularistic gains towards a structural improvement of relations between citizens, CSOs, and local governments.

doi:10.18449/2022MTA-PB05

• Zum Volltext (PDF) | 673 KB