A confederation linking Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso
Niger has initiated the withdrawal from the Rome Statute, becoming the third country to leave the ICC after Burundi and the Philippines. The move follows a 2023 military coup and signals growing regional tensions over international justice mechanisms amid shifting alliances with Russia and mounting security challenges in the Sahel.
Airspace has reopened between Mali and Algeria and ambassadors are to resume duties after a year-long diplomatic rift triggered by a drone incident. Mali says its airspace is open to all civilian and military flights; Algeria confirms the move as ties thaw in a volatile Sahel.
Soldiers have seized Base 101 at Niamey’s Diori Hamani International Airport and opened fire at sensitive sites overnight, triggering hours of clashes with forces loyal to junta leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani. State television was briefly taken off air. Authorities say security forces are regaining control after Russia’s Africa Corps intervened and dozens of mutineers were killed or detained.
Russia has helped Niger's military regime quell a mutiny, with its Africa Corps enabling a joint operation that subdued mutineers at Base 101 and near the presidential palace. Analysts say Moscow’s intervention reinforces junta stability while highlighting regional insecurity and broader Russian influence in the Sahel.