Niger Junta Suspends Nearly 3,000 NGOs in Major “Clean-Up” Drive

Niger’s military government has suspended the activities of 2,900 out of 4,700 registered local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and development agencies, according to the country’s interior minister.

The ruling junta, led by General Abdourahmane Tiani since July 2023, says the move is part of efforts to strengthen national sovereignty, a policy direction it shares with neighbouring Burkina Faso, another military-led state.

Last week, Burkina Faso also dissolved more than 100 NGOs and associations, many linked to human rights work, and barred them from operating.

In Niger, authorities have repeatedly accused NGOs of lacking transparency and of indirectly supporting “terrorists”   armed groups responsible for ongoing instability in parts of the country.

Officials had previously suspended several organisations for failing to publish their 2024 financial reports in the official gazette.

Speaking on state television, Interior Minister General Mohamed Toumba said: “We had 4,700 NGOs. Today, we have 1,800.”

While more than 330 international NGOs were registered in the country, authorities did not specify how many were affected by the latest suspensions.

Toumba described the decision as a “clean-up” operation, stating that NGOs must now align their activities with national development priorities.

Official figures show NGOs and associations raised over 250 billion CFA francs ($448 million) in 2024.

The move comes as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali continue to strengthen cooperation under the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a regional bloc increasingly tightening regulations on civil society groups.