Niger grain deals with West continue to roll
The United Nations is still delivering aid to Niger despite the loss of contact with the military following a coup. According to Al Arabiya News, 28 July.
Military officers declared General Abdourahamane Tiani as the new head of state of the country on Friday stating that they had suspended the constitution and disbanded all institutions following the overthrowing of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Nicole Kouassi, the top United Nations General in the West African country noted that they have not had contact with them since the military coup.
She told reporters, “Concerning the president, information we have from our political office is he seemed to be at his home and he seemed to be fine,” she said. “The situation in the country is quite calm.”
The violent uprising from Niger’s military prompted the UN to call for the release of Mr. Bazoum.
The UN says around 4.3 million people need humanitarian help in Niger. More than 370,000 people are displaced within the country, which is also a host nation for more than 250,000 refugees mostly from Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso.
The country’s need for aid has risen due to the halting of Russia’s Black Sea Grain deal.
The wartime deal allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to the Middle East, Asia and Africa and was beneficial to these continents where hunger continues to be a threat and food price are soaring.
However, analysts and export data say Russia has also been shipping record amounts of wheat with fertilizers.
Droughts in like Somalia, Kenya, Morocco and Tunisia meant that these countries relied on the importation of grain that the deal guaranteed.
Wagner Group mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led an unsuccessful mutiny against the Russian army last month, hailed Niger’s military coup as positive news and offered his fighters’ services to bring order in Niger.
Al ALARABIYA
