Hundreds of people gather in front of the French military base to hold a protest demanding the French soldiers to leave the country, in Niamey, Niger on September 16, 2023.
© picture alliance / AA | Balima Boureima
Working with Civil Society in Authoritarian Contexts? The Case of Niger
Megatrends Policy Brief 28, 16.10.2024, 11 Pagesdoi:10.18449/2024MTA-PB28
The recent wave of coups in the Sahel puts Western policy makers in a difficult situation: While they wish to maintain relations and vie for influence, they also want to avoid strengthening unconstitutional rule. Collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) who are supposedly closer to citizens, is currently discussed as a way out of the dilemma. However, research reveals that especially in authoritarian contexts, the lines between CSOs and the state are often blurred. If Western policy makers wish to collaborate with CSOs, they need to have up-to-date knowledge about local CSO landscapes, flexible funding instruments, and a clearly defined strategy that entails risk mitigation measures while embedding CSO support in a concerted political approach.
Hundreds of people gather in front of the French military base to hold a protest demanding the French soldiers to leave the country, in Niamey, Niger on September 16, 2023.
© picture alliance / AA | Balima Boureima
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
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
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.
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.
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
