The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has officially shut down its operations in Niger and withdrawn all foreign staff from the country, four months after the ruling military junta ordered the humanitarian organization to leave. The announcement marks the end of over three decades of ICRC humanitarian work in the West African nation.
In a statement released on Thursday, the ICRC confirmed the closure of its offices and reiterated its readiness to return to Niger — but only if a constructive dialogue with the country’s authorities can be reestablished.
“We reiterate our willingness to maintain constructive dialogue with the authorities of Niger with a view to resuming our strictly humanitarian protection and assistance activities,” said Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa.
The decision comes after months of uncertainty following the expulsion order issued by Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2025. At the time, the government offered no explanation for the sudden demand that the Red Cross vacate the country. Since then, the organization had been seeking clarity and attempting to engage in diplomatic discussions with Niger’s leadership, but those efforts ultimately failed.
On May 31, Niger’s junta leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, broke the silence on national television, accusing the ICRC of holding unauthorized meetings with what he described as “terrorist leaders” and allegedly providing funding to armed groups destabilizing the Sahel region.
“The Red Cross has overstepped its boundaries. It has been in contact with groups that threaten our sovereignty and our people,” Tchiani declared. “We cannot allow any organization, no matter how well known, to undermine national security.”
These serious accusations were strongly rejected by the ICRC in its official response.
“The ICRC does not provide financial, logistical, or any other form of support to armed groups,” the statement read. “Our neutrality requires us to maintain dialogue with all parties in conflict in order to ensure access to communities in need and protect civilians affected by violence.”
The expulsion is the latest blow to humanitarian access in Niger, a country already suffering from high levels of displacement, food insecurity, and natural disasters. The ICRC, which has operated in Niger since 1990, has played a vital role in delivering aid to millions affected by jihadist insurgencies and the broader regional instability that has gripped the Sahel in recent years.
According to the organization, over 2 million people in Niger benefited from Red Cross support, which included food distribution, emergency shelter, medical assistance, and clean water projects. Much of this work focused on areas severely affected by the presence of groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, particularly along Niger’s borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria.
Human rights observers and international aid workers have expressed alarm over the ICRC’s departure, warning that the humanitarian vacuum it leaves behind could have dire consequences.
“This decision has stripped thousands of vulnerable people in Niger of a lifeline,” said Marie Coulibaly, a humanitarian policy analyst based in Dakar. “The Red Cross was one of the few organizations with the capacity and neutrality to operate in hard-to-reach conflict zones.”
The junta’s decision to remove the Red Cross reflects a growing pattern of hostility toward international partners. Since seizing power in a July 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s military leaders have systematically distanced the country from traditional Western allies and institutions.
Relations with France, the country’s former colonial power, have been especially strained. French military forces were expelled from Niger in 2023, and diplomatic ties have since frayed. The military junta has also reduced cooperation with the United States, whose drone base and counterterrorism presence were once central to regional security efforts.
Instead, the junta has pivoted toward closer ties with Russia, following a path similar to that of neighboring military-led regimes in Mali and Burkina Faso. Russian military advisors and private security contractors have been spotted operating in Niger, signaling a significant geopolitical shift.
The Red Cross is not the only international organization affected by this shift. In November 2024, the junta banned the French humanitarian group Acted from operating in the country, again without clear justification.
Critics say the junta is using national security as a pretext to silence foreign organizations and control the narrative.
“There is a growing suspicion of foreign NGOs, especially those perceived to be aligned with Western interests,” said Dr. Issoufou Mahamadou, a political science professor at the University of Niamey. “But targeting neutral organizations like the ICRC risks deepening the humanitarian crisis and alienating much-needed support.”
Niger’s volatile security environment, particularly in regions such as Tillabéri and Diffa, continues to be marked by frequent attacks from extremist groups. The U.N. estimates that over 4.3 million people across Niger are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
The ICRC’s departure will likely put additional strain on remaining aid agencies, many of which already face funding shortfalls and limited access due to insecurity.
Despite the expulsion, the ICRC has signaled it is leaving the door open for future engagement. Its regional leadership emphasized that humanitarian needs in Niger remain critical and that the organization remains committed to its mission.
“We hope circumstances will allow us to return,” Patrick Youssef said. “The people of Niger deserve humanitarian support, and we are always ready to fulfill that responsibility wherever we are permitted to work.”
For now, however, the departure of one of the world’s most respected humanitarian institutions marks a somber chapter in Niger’s complex political transition. As the junta consolidates power and forges new alliances, it remains to be seen whether humanitarian priorities will be protected — or sacrificed on the altar of sovereignty and geopolitical rivalry.
