Morocco Emerges as Potential Mediator in Niger Crisis as France’s Influence Wanes

The release of President Mohamed Bazoum was discussed during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rabat from October 28 to 30, according to the entourage of the former head of state reported to the newspaper Le Monde. The transitional regime has two conditions: Bazoum resigns or goes into exile. For more than a year, the president overthrown at the end of July 2023 by a coup d’état has not heard of this. However, he has not ruled out the possibility of a departure to Morocco.

An appropriate solution for the putschists, the kingdom being geographically distant from Niger. The other positive aspect that reassures the Nigerien authorities is Rabat’s relative neutrality. Morocco is not a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The latter had heavily sanctioned the new Alliance of Sahel States (AES) formed by Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, leading the latter to break with the organization.

In addition to Niger, Morocco maintains good relations