With the federal government suspending direct financial assistance to Niger's government after a military coup removed the country's president, some experts say western nations, including Canada, should re-evaluate their policies abroad when it comes to promoting democracy abroad.
Canada announced on Saturday that it would suspend direct budgetary support to the government in Niger, where members of the country's military led a coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
Ottawa has said it "strongly condemns the attempted coup," while Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has called for President Bazoum and the "democratically elected government" to be reinstated.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) – the regional trading bloc consisting of 15 West African countries — gave Niger's military junta until Sunday to reinstate the president under the threat of a military intervention.
However, some, including Nigeria's Senate, have called for a more peaceful resolution to the crisis.
On Canada's response, Andrew Rasiulis, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, formerly known as the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, told CTV News Channel on Sunday that he believes Canada has taken a "measured" step in suspending direct financial aid to the government.
"I think they (Niger) understand that Canada has been actually quite moderate in this respect and so it is not on the forefront of the concerns of the Nigerien government," Rasiulis said.
"What they're really concerned about is the efforts of ECOWAS and the French government to try and overturn the coup."
Many of Niger's citizens, while openly resentful of their former colonizer France, have appeared to embrace Russia as a potential ally, with some protesters waving Russian flags at demonstrations.
"The question then becomes what will happen in Niger?" Rasiulis said. "Will the Nigeriens actually ask Canada to leave? We're not sure."
The Russian mercenary group Wagner is known to operate in Africa including Niger's neighbour Mali, which experienced a coup back in 2021. Burkina Faso, another country that borders Niger, also has experienced multiple coups in recent years.
Mali and Burkina Faso have both said they would consider an intervention in Niger a "declaration of war" against them. Niger's junta has also asked Wagner for help.
However, Oluwole Ojewale, regional co-ordinator for Central Africa at the Institute for Security Studies in Dakar, Senegal, told CTV News Channel on Sunday he believes the junta will use the ousted president as a "bargaining chip" in ongoing negotiations.
"For now it is just a military propaganda," Ojewale said.
"So for now, I think that is going to be extended to continue to explore the part of diplomacy, to find a lasting solution to the crisis," he added.
The recent coup has also put into question the military assistance that Canada and other countries have provided to Niger.
Western countries have viewed Niger as a partner in the fight against extremists in the Sahel region, south of the Sahara Desert, that are linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The United States, France and other European countries have committed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military assistance to Niger, along with thousands of military personnel.
The Canadian government has not said much about its military training mission in Niger, known as Operation Naberius.
Under Operation Naberius, the Canadian Armed Forces sent up to 50 members each year to Niger since 2013 to train the Forces armées nigériennes, training that also involved Canadian Special Operations Forces.
A Defence Department spokesperson told The Globe and Mail in late July that there is no current training program in Niger. The spokesperson also said Canadian Special Operations Forces Command has not provided training to Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, the recently installed head of state for Niger, or Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger's special forces and a suspected coup leader.
Aurel Braun, a professor of international relations and political science at the University of Toronto, told CTV News Channel on Sunday that Canada's policy in Niger, while well intended, "clearly has not achieved the desired results because a democratically elected government was overthrown."
"And I think that's a very strong hint that something has fundamentally gone wrong," he said.
However, Braun adds that it is not just Canada but also the collective West that has not handled the situation well.
"This is one very sad example for the people of that country, but it is happening elsewhere as well in many ways," Braun said.
"Dictatorships are on the march and democracies need to become better at predicting and at preventing these kinds of juntas and better at supporting democratic governments — making them more resilient, making them more popular to the extent that external forces can do that."
With files from CTVNews.ca Writer Sissi De Flaviis and The Associated Press
U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn't order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February, according to an official familiar with the determination.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
U.S. President Joe Biden is out to win votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump, unleashing mockery with the goal of getting under the former president's thin skin and reminding the country of his blunders.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
One person has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a man who fell from a balcony following an altercation inside a Toronto apartment building.
Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
A woman was found dead in her home in Richmond on Friday and her son was arrested at the scene, police say.
A head-on crash on Highway 99 Sunday morning was caused by a driver going the wrong way, according to authorities.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews has been sidelined by a "lingering illness" as Toronto stares down playoff elimination.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Calgary police are investigating after a hit-and-run Saturday afternoon in Bridgeland that left a pedestrian hospitalized with serious, life-altering injuries.
Decidedly Jazz Danceworks threw a pretty catchy party Saturday night.
An investigation is underway after a pedestrian was struck and dragged by a vehicle early Sunday morning.
Ottawa police say officers responded to a call for a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle on 8th Line Road, near Walker Road, just after 2:30 a.m.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
Quebecers could soon see more homegrown content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. The provincial government announced that it plans to introduce a new bill within the next year to force online streaming giants to add more made-in-Quebec media on their platforms.
A woman in her 60s died after a fire Sunday morning in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, in Quebec's Monteregie region.
A man is dead after he reportedly lost control of his motorcycle in Strathcona County Saturday night.
A rally was held Sunday for the dozens of Albertans who died last year as a result of their job.
A woman was killed after crashing into a water truck near the Fort McMurray International Airport Saturday morning.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
A 38-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a homicide in New Brunswick on Saturday.
One man has been charged after police responded to a report of an armed robbery at a business on Shore Road in Eskasoni, N.S., on Friday.
The trial for the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg is set to get underway on April 29.
More than 160 people gathered at Winnipeg’s Kildonan Park Sunday to recognize victims of workplace tragedy and occupational illnesses.
A Winnipeg scale model builder is using his craft to showcase a large piece of Canadian history in miniature form.
The Regina Rebels made history over the weekend — taking home gold for the first time ever at the U-18 women's hockey national championships.
Regina's fire service is investigating following a significant house fire in the North Central area.
'Feel through the Deepness to see,' an art installation by artist Rita McKeough, will be calling the Dunlop Art Gallery home for the next two months.
A ransom for a stolen laptop, a parking dispute at a Kitchener apartment building, and a five-cent property tax bill round out the most-read stories of the week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Waterloo regional police are investigating after they found a man unconscious in a Kitchener parking lot with serious injuries.
Workers at group homes run by LutherCare Communities in Saskatoon are escalating their strike action.
On Saturday, in a display of cross-cultural solidarity, members of the Indigenous and Palestinian communities gathered in Saskatoon for an event steeped in prayer and dance.
The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) and Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating after a woman’s body was found at a recycling facility Friday morning.
Environment Canada has lifted the thunderstorm watches issued on Saturday for northeastern Ontario – however, has since issued special weather statements warning of freezing rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont. beginning Monday.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
A Barrie driver was travelling more than 50km/h over the speed limit on Highway 69 south of Greater Sudbury.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
The London Knights have taken a 2-0 series lead on the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL Western Conference Final after a 3-1 win Sunday. The 10-0 start to the playoffs is the best in franchise history during the internet era.
It’s been 25 years since Kevin Jones was injured while employed at a factory building transport trailers. 'There was repetitive strain, motion muscles, skeletal tearing, and nerve pain in my neck, shoulders and upper back,' explained Jones, 51, of London, Ont.
A solemn occasion to mark the lives lost and workers injured on the job took place in Orillia on Sunday.
Police and search and rescue crews in Gravenhurst are trying to locate a man after reports of a possible drowning.
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Rain couldn't stop an annual charity 5K run from taking place in Lakeshore this weekend. In fact, running in the rain has practically become a tradition at this point.
A man is facing several charges after allegedly possessing a knife during an altercation and fleeing from police early Sunday morning.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
J.T. Miller had a goal and assist and the Vancouver Canucks edged the Nashville Predators 2-1 to re-take the lead in their first-round playoff series.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
The Brooks Bandits got down to business Friday, defeating the Okotoks Oilers 8-2.
An Alberta political scientist said the NDP leadership hopefuls remained fairly even following the first of the party’s debates.
It was a busy Wednesday evening for fire crews in Lethbridge County after multiple grass fires were sparked near the Kipp rail yard.
St. Joseph’s General Hospital Elliot Lake says it is moving towards “normalcy” by transitioning to a mask-friendly policy.
Environment Canada has lifted the thunderstorm watches issued on Saturday for northeastern Ontario – however, has since issued special weather statements warning of freezing rain from Chapleau, Ont. to Sturgeon Lake, Ont. beginning Monday.
About 100 delegates from around the province travelled to Timmins, Ont., for its annual general meeting and convention at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa.
Legendary sportscaster Bob Cole was a Newfoundlander through and through, and his daughter says his connection to the province was 'everything' to him.
Cenovus Energy has been ordered to pay a $2.5-million fine for its role in the largest offshore oil spill ever recorded in Newfoundland and Labrador.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
As if a 4-0 Edmonton Oilers lead in Game 1 of their playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings wasn't good enough, what was announced at Rogers Place during the next TV timeout nearly blew the roof off the downtown arena.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
Ontario is introducing a suite of measures that will crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools.
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Quebec is investing $603 million over the next five years to counter what its French-language minister describes as the decline of the French language in the province.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has issued a recall for a specific chocolate brand sold in Ontario and Quebec.
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Anyone who has a Gen-Z person in their life is likely familiar with the popular social media app TikTok, but a new bill in the U.S. may soon take it off of the American market.
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
Quebec singing star and cultural icon Jean-Pierre Ferland died on Saturday at the age of 89.
Morgan Freeman spoke the words, but pretty much everyone who took the stage at the presentation of the AFI Life Achievement Award agreed: "Nicole Kidman. She makes movies better."
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino's original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
The federal and Quebec governments are spending close to $100 million to boost the country's manufacturing capacity for semiconductors, which are vital in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.
Employees increasingly find that robust workplace volunteer programs meet their desires for in-person connections, professional growth and altruistically inclined employers — career objectives that might be missing in conventional corporate atmospheres.
Take an illustrated look back at the culinary history of Winnipeg.
An idyllic 453-acre private island is up for sale off the west coast of Scotland and it comes with sandy beaches, puffins galore, seven houses, a pub, a helipad and a flock of black-faced sheep.
Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker announced on social media that her career was over on Sunday after 16 seasons.
Maple Leafs centre Auston Matthews has been sidelined by a "lingering illness" as Toronto stares down playoff elimination.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Vancouver Canucks when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
