The decision was announced in a letter sent to Niger’s diplomatic missions abroad by Laouali Labo, secretary general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and confirmed by OIF spokesperson Oria K. Vande Weghe, to a local television channel.

Niger’s cooperation with OIF had already been suspended following the July 2023 coup d’état against then-President Mohamed Bazoum.

Niamey thus joins Burkina Faso in leaving the OIF, so some observers speculate that Mali could take similar decisions, as the three countries have recently minimized their ties with the former metropolis.

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