Nigeria has halted electricity exports to neighboring Niger following a coup that ousted the country’s government from power. According to an unnamed source from Niger’s power utility, the high-voltage line transmitting electricity from Nigeria was disconnected on August 1.
The coup, carried out by a group of military commanders in late July, led to immediate sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Niger. While some countries in the region supported the coup, Mali and Burkina Faso warned against external intervention to remove the new leadership of Niger, stating it would be considered a declaration of war against them as well.
In response, ECOWAS threatened the use of force unless the junta reinstated the elected president of Niger. General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the new self-proclaimed leader of Niger, criticized the sanctions as “inhumane” and “illegal” and vowed not to yield to the pressure exerted by the regional group.
Niger, a former French colony, plays a crucial role as a major supplier of uranium to France and other European nuclear power plants. The country also provides 70% of Nigeria’s electricity supply. Despite concerns about uranium deliveries to the EU following the coup, Euratom stated that there was no immediate risk for supply even if Niger were to halt uranium exports.
