DAKAR, Senegal — The Worldwide Committee of the Purple Cross introduced the closure of its places of work in Niger and the departure of its international workers, 4 months after the ruling junta ordered the group to go away the nation.
The ICRC confirmed the closure and departure in an announcement on Thursday.
“We reiterate our willingness to take care of constructive dialogue with the authorities of Niger with a view to resuming our strictly humanitarian safety and help actions,” Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, mentioned within the assertion.
In February, Niger’s International Affairs Ministry had ordered the ICRC to shut its places of work and depart the nation. No official cause was given for the army junta’s choice to close down the group’s operations within the nation on the time.
The ICRC mentioned it had been in dialogue with Niger’s authorities since February to know the explanations for his or her choice and supply any needed clarification however that these efforts have been unsuccessful.
On Might 31, Niger’s junta chief, Abdourahamane Tchiani, justified the ICRC expulsion on Nigerien state tv, accusing the group of getting met with “terrorist leaders” and funding armed teams.
The ICRC refuted the accusations in its assertion on Thursday, saying that dialogue with all sides within the battle is important to hold out its humanitarian mandate and that it “by no means supplies monetary, logistical, or another type of help” to armed teams.
The humanitarian group had been energetic within the West African nation since 1990, primarily serving to individuals displaced by violence by Islamic extremists, meals insecurity and pure disasters. In keeping with the group, it offered humanitarian support to greater than 2 million individuals in Niger.
Niger’s army rulers took energy in a coup two years in the past, the newest of a number of army takeovers in Africa’s Sahel, the huge, arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert that has turn out to be a hotspot for extremist violence by militant teams.
For the reason that coup, Niger has pulled away from its Western companions, similar to France and the USA, turning as an alternative to Russia for safety.
Final November, the nation’s army junta banned the French support group Acted from working within the nation amid tensions with France.
