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 Israel |  Niger |
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There are no formal bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Niger. Diplomatic relations between the countries were active between the independence of Niger in 1960 and 1973. Relations were renormalised in 1996, but terminated by Niger in 2002. There are no special travel or trade restrictions between citizens of the nations.
Niger obtained independence from France in 1960, and at the time established relations with the government of Israel, although Niger never established a permanent mission there. During the early 1960s, several Israeli development programmes, mostly concerned with exchange of experts in agricultural development in arid regions, were established in Niger. The Israeli government also helped in the founding of the Young Pioneers of Niger, a national youth and civil group. [1] In the mid 1960s, Niger opened an embassy in Israel. [2] Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Nigerien popular and government feelings toward Israel cooled. The Israeli government for its part disapproved of Niger's closer relations with Libya, beginning in 1969. The continued Israeli conflict with its neighbors, increased pressure from allies like Libya, and the movement of a number of African nations in a similar direction, caused the Republic of Niger to formally end all diplomatic relations with the government of Israel on 1 January 1973. [3]
Arab, African, and non-aligned organisations had made a number of moves towards breaking relations with Israel following 1967, and these continued in the early 1970s. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) at its summit meeting in June 1972 went beyond its 1971 criticism of Israel in unanimously calling for a virtual UN arms embargo of Israel. That same year, Uganda broke diplomatic relations with Israel in March; Chad followed in November. Israel announced on December 25 the closing of its embassies in Niger and the Republic of the Congo "for budgetary and administrative reasons", leaving only non-resident accreditation in these two countries. The Congo reacted by severing relations completely, denouncing Israeli policies as "imperialist and expansionist". Niger also severed relations completely, the ruling Niger Progressive Party called Israeli representation in Niamey "inappropriate." [4] The official Nigerien policy of a break on relations was announced on 1 January 1973, [5] to go into effect on 4 January. [2]
Several other of Niger's neighbours severed relations at the same time, including Mali (4 January 1973: continues to have no relations with Israel) and Nigeria (which reestablished relations in 1992). [3]
Informal ties with Israel continued under the government of Hamani Diori, as well as under Seyni Kountché after 1974. [3] Whatever relations remained were further hurt in the late 1970s by the Israeli opening of relations with the Apartheid regime in South Africa. [6] and with Israeli charges that Niger had shipped uranium ore to Libya and Iraq. In 1979, Niger revealed that it had sold 258 tonnes of uranium to Libya in 1978, and continued sales to opponents of Israel: 1212 tonnes to Libya in 1981 and an unknown amount to Iraq prior to the Israeli attack on the Iraqi Osirak nuclear reactor on 1 June 1981. [3] Political relations remained strained through successive governments because of the Nigerien perception of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and Israel's continued close relations in the 1970s and 1980s with Apartheid South Africa. [6] [7]
Niger voted "yes" on the 1975 United Nations Resolution which "determine[d] that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination". [8]
Formal reestablishment of ties, without the reopening of embassies, occurred on 28 November 1996. [9] This reopening, like that between neighbours such as Mauritania, came in the wake of the Oslo Accords, the end of occupation, and pressure from the United States to support a perceived opening of a Palestinian – Israeli peace. The actual opening, coming from the Nigerien end in October 1996, was spurred by the 27 January 1996 military coup of Col. Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara and the new government's desire to reverse the subsequent withdrawal of aid from Niger's two primary sponsors, the United States and France. [10] In less than three years Maïnassara had been overthrown, and Niger's new democratic government had restored relations with the west.
In April 2002, following the Second Intifada of 2000, and growing street protests against Israeli and United States foreign policy, [11] the government of Niger again announced formal rupture in diplomatic relations. [12] [13]
In closing relations, Niger became the first nation to sever ties with Israel since the Palestinian uprising began in 2000. [14] [15]
In the official statement on 21 April, the Nigerien government condemned Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territories, and condemned the "intransigence of Prime Minister Sharon and his clearly stated wish to revisit all of the past decisions of the peace process, which is seriously threatening peace and security in all of the Middle East." [16]
Shortly before the rupture in relations Nigerien official Lawal Kader Mahamadou, in denouncing Israel's conflict with the Palestinians, accused Israel of "genocide" during an appearance on state television, saying "Palestine must live as a sovereign state". Israeli Foreign Ministry officials stated that although they were disappointed in the break in ties, relations since 1996 had amounted to little more than the exchange of a few Israeli agricultural experts and Nigerien university students. [17]
As of 2023, there remains no diplomatic relations between the two nations. There are no specific trade or travel restrictions between the two nations. [18] All visitors from outside the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) must have a visitor's visa when entering Niger, [19] while Nigeriens face no formal restrictions upon travel to Israel. While there are at times protests against Israeli policy in Niger, [20] [21] Israelis continue to travel to and work in the country. [22]
The foreign relations of Chad are significantly influenced by the desire for oil revenue and investment in Chadian oil industry and support for former Chadian President Idriss Déby. Chad is officially non-aligned but has close relations with France, the former colonial power. Relations with neighbouring Libya, and Sudan vary periodically. Lately, the Idris Déby regime waged an intermittent proxy war with Sudan. Aside from those two countries, Chad generally enjoys good relations with its neighbouring states.
The foreign relations of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi (1969–2011) underwent much fluctuation and change. They were marked by severe tension with the West and by other national policies in the Middle East and Africa, including the Libyan government's financial and military support for numerous paramilitary and rebel groups.
The Niger Armed Forces includes military armed force service branches, paramilitary services branches and the National Police of Niger. The Army, Air Force and the National Gendarmerie are under the Ministry of Defense whereas the National Guard and the National Police fall under the command of the Ministry of Interior. With the exception of the National Police, all military and paramilitary forces are trained in military fashion. The President of Niger is the supreme commander of the entire armed forces. The National Assembly of Niger passed a statue for the Army of Niger on November 2020, planning that the army's size should increase from 25,000 personnel in 2020, to 50,000 in 2025 and finally 100,000 in 2030.
Niger pursues a moderate foreign policy and maintains friendly relations with both East and West. It is a member state of the United Nations. Niger maintains a special relationship with France and enjoys close relations with its West African neighbours.
Foreign relations of Israel refers to diplomatic and trade relations between Israel and other countries around the world. Israel has diplomatic ties with 164 of the other 192 UN member states as of December 2020. Israel is a member of the United Nations (UN) and a number of other international organisations. Israel maintains full diplomatic relations with two of its Arab neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994 respectively. In 2020, Israel signed agreements establishing diplomatic relations with four Arab League countries, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco. As of 2021, Israel had formal diplomatic relations with 168 other countries, while twenty-eight UN member states have either never established, or have broken off diplomatic relations with Israel.
From 1990 to 1995, a rebellion by various Tuareg groups took place in Niger and Mali, with the aim of achieving autonomy or forming their own nation-state. The insurgency occurred in a period following the regional famine of the 1980s and subsequent refugee crisis, and a time of generalised political repression and crisis in both nations. The conflict is one in a series of Tuareg-based insurgencies in the colonial and post-colonial history of these nations. In Niger, it is also referred to as the Second or Third Tuareg Rebellion, a reference to the pre-independence rebellions of Ag Mohammed Wau Teguidda Kaocen of the Aïr Mountains in 1914 and the rising of Firhoun of Ikazkazan in 1911, who reappeared in Mali in 1916. In fact the nomadic Tuareg confederations have come into sporadic conflict with the sedentary communities of the region ever since they migrated from the Maghreb into the Sahel region between the 7th and 14th centuries CE. Some Tuareg wanted an independent Tuareg nation to be formed when French colonialism ended. This, combined with dissatisfaction over the new governments, led some Tuareg in Northern Mali to rebel in 1963.
Hamid Algabid is a Nigerien politician and the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP-Jama'a) party. A lawyer, banker, and technocrat, Algabid was an important figure in the regime of Seyni Kountché, serving as Prime Minister of Niger from 1983 to 1988. He was Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) from 1989 to 1996, and since 1997 he has been President of the RDP-Jama'a. He was also President of the High Council of Territorial Collectivities (HCCT) until 2010.
Arab League–Iran relations refer to the political, economic, and cultural ties between the League of Arab States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The former is a regional organization composed of 22 Arab states in MENA with a combined majority of Sunni Muslims, whereas the latter is a country in Western Asia with a majority of Shia Muslims.
The Libyan–Sudanese relations refers to the long historical relations between Libya and Sudan, both are Arab countries.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Israel became an open critic of the apartheid regime in South Africa, hoping to establish good relations with black-majority countries in Africa. However, most African countries severed ties with Israel in 1973 due to economic threats by oil-rich countries in the Arab world. This situation led Israel to deepen its diplomatic ties with South Africa throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Niger–United States relations are bilateral relations between Niger and the United States. Niger and the United States have a strong and longstanding partnership based on shared democratic values and a commitment to promoting peace, security, and development in West Africa. The two countries cooperate on a range of issues, including counter-terrorism, trade and investment, and health and education. On August 4, 2023, Abdourahamane Tchiani's military junta severed diplomatic ties with the US after a successful coup d'état deposing Nigerien president Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger–Nigeria relations refer to the current and historical relationship between Niger and Nigeria, two neighbouring countries in West Africa. Relations are based on a long shared border and common cultural and historical interactions.
Ethiopia–Israel relations are foreign relations between Ethiopia and Israel. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations in 1992. Ethiopia has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Israel has an embassy in Addis Ababa. Israel has been one of Ethiopia's most reliable suppliers of military assistance, supporting different Ethiopian governments during the Eritrean War of Independence.
France–Niger relations are the foreign relations between France and the Niger. Their relations are based on a long shared history and the more than sixty year rule of Niger by the French colonial empire, beginning with the French conquest in 1898. Niger obtained independence from France in 1960, and a history of French influenced culture and French language have been a point of commonality in the creation of a distinctive Nigerien culture from the diverse pre-colonial nationalities which make up modern Niger. France benefited economically from their time as a colonial power, and still relies on imports from Niger for elements of their economy.
The State of Israel was formally established by the Israeli Declaration of Independence on 14 May 1948, and was admitted to the United Nations (UN) as a full member state on 11 May 1949. As of December 2020, it has received diplomatic recognition from 165 of the 193 total UN member states, and also maintains bilateral ties with all of the Permanent Five. 28 member states have either never recognized Israel or have withdrawn their recognition; others have severed diplomatic relations without explicitly withdrawing their recognition. Additionally, many non-recognizing countries have challenged Israel's existence — predominantly those in the Muslim world — due to significant animosity stemming from the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Arab–Israeli conflict.
Relations between Palestine and Sri Lanka started in 1975 when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) opened up an embassy in Colombo. After the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on 15 November 1988, the Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives were among few of the first countries in the world to recognize the State of Palestine. Left wing government led by Sirimavo Bandaranaike during the 1970s closed down the Israel embassy in support of the Palestinian cause. However, after the right wing government led by J.R. Jayewardene came to power Sri Lanka re-established ties with Israel. Diplomatic ties with Israel were suspended again under president Ranasinghe Premadasa in support of the Palestinian cause. In 2000 however ties with Israel were re-established. Sri Lanka currently supports the two state solution for the conflict. In 2014 Sri Lanka donated 130 million rupees to Palestine as humanitarian aid. During the UN speech of president Maithripala Sirisena he expressed support for the liberation struggle of the Palestinian people and urged the United Nations and all Member States to approach the Palestinian issue in a more humane manner taking the inhumane conditions they face into consideration. Sri Lanka voted in support of Palestine in almost every resolution brought to the UN.
Chad and Israel began relations with Chad's independence in 1960, but were officially terminated in the 1970s. De facto relations resumed in 2016, with diplomatic relations re-established in 2019.
Israel–Libya relations describes the relations between Israel and Libya. While there has been no formal diplomatic agreement between Israel and Libya since Libya's independence, there have been some notable events and developments in their relationship over the years. One of the main reasons for Libya's antagonism towards Israel has been its support for the Palestinian cause. Libya, under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi, was a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and provided aid and support to various Palestinian militant groups.
Israel-Liberia relations refer to the bilateral relations between the State of Israel and the Republic of Liberia. Liberia was one of the United Nations member states to vote in favor of establishing a Jewish state in Palestine in 1947. Israel and Liberia established relations in the late 1950s. The administration of William Tolbert severed ties with the Israeli government in 1973 in response to the Yom Kippur War, but they were re-established in 1983 by Samuel Doe, who succeeded Tolbert via coup.
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