The EU said it will “continue supporting the population” in Niger.
“Humanitarian aid is essential; it is provided neutrally, impartially and independently, and is implemented by United Nations agencies and international organisations and NGOs. Nothing should justify the use of humanitarian aid for political ends,” the EEAS said in the statement.
The EU added that it recalled its ambassador to Niger, Portuguese-French diplomat Salvador Pinto da França, for “consultation in Brussels.”
The developments mark a new high in the escalating tensions between the EU and Niger, where a military junta that is not recognized by Brussels seized power in a coup d’etat in the summer of 2023.
Niger’s military rulers immediately turned against former colonial ruler France, which withdrew its envoy to Niger shortly after the coup.
