Niger’s military government has announced the nationalisation of the country’s sole industrial gold mine, accusing its Australian operator of “serious breaches” as the junta seeks greater control of natural resources.

The military junta has ruled the West African nation since seizing power in a 2023 coup, promising to crack down on Niger’s myriad security issues.

Juntas in Niger, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali have ramped up pressure on foreign mining companies in recent years, with Niger nationalising the local branch of French uranium giant Orano in June.

  • chaogomu@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I can’t find any actual evidence that the Military Junta is in any way popular…

    They seem to have crashed the economy, then implemented a law that lets the military rob from the rest of the government in order to enrich themselves.

    They partnered with various mercenary groups, including the Wagner group, to put down juhadists and dissidents as if those were the same thing…

    Pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a military dictatorship.

    • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      Niger was hit with massive sanctions following the coup in 2023, which heavily damaged the economy. Sanctions are an act of brutal imperialist violence. On the economic side, Abdourahamane Tchiani’s government has been nationalizing key industries and kicking out French and Australian imperialists. Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso make up the Alliance of Sahel States, which together have been banding together to kick out foreign plunderers and have been developing rapidly because of it. The West has, as a response, sponsored terrorist groups and mercenaries against them.

      Stop batting for imperialism.

            • Cowbee [he/they]@lemmy.ml
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              13 hours ago

              I’m 100% on board with the popular anti-imperialist national liberation movement going on in the Sahel States. You’re functionally no-different from the liberal-Zionists that whine about Hamas and use that as justification for Israel’s genocide of Palestine. I disagree with they way you paint the Sahel States, and if you actually listened to the people living there you’d realize you’re parroting far-right imperialist propaganda uncritically.