TheNewsGuru

Tag: Diplomatic Ties

  • Just In: Niger Republic sever diplomatic ties with Nigeria

    Just In: Niger Republic sever diplomatic ties with Nigeria

    The military junta in the Niger Republic has severed diplomatic relations with Nigeria following the failure of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to resolve the ongoing crisis.

    ECOWAS had given a seven-day ultimatum for the reinstatement of President Mohamed Bazoum to avoid a potential clash with the junta.

    President Bola Tinubu sent a high-level delegation, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), to meet with the coup leaders, but they only met with representatives of the junta.

    In response, Niger cut off ties with Nigeria, Togo, France (its former colonizer), and the United States. The junta announced the termination of the functions of the Republic of Niger’s ambassadors to the aforementioned countries.

    The crisis began on July 26 when President Bazoum was detained by members of the Presidential Guard, and the military subsequently announced that they had seized power.

    Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, the commander of Niger’s presidential guard, declared himself the head of a transitional government just two days after toppling Bazoum’s government.

    The United States has expressed support for ECOWAS, led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, in efforts to reinstate Bazoum. US President Joe Biden called for the immediate release of Bazoum, emphasizing the importance of defending democratic values and constitutional order. Amid concerns of escalating conflict, some European countries have evacuated their nationals from Niger.

  • Israel to strengthen diplomatic relations with Nigeria- Envoy

    Israel to strengthen diplomatic relations with Nigeria- Envoy

    Israel reassures plans to deepen diplomatic relations with Nigeria in aspects of economic cooperation. Amb. Michael Freeman, Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, said this in an interview with Newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Michael, also Permanent Representative of Israel to ECOWAS, commended Nigeria to be a great country, saying potential to achieve a lot.

    “Nigeria is a wonderful country with wonderful, friendly and hospitable people, there is huge potential between Israel and Nigeria in many different fields, one of them will be in the area of education.

    “The sky’s the limit, it is up to Nigerians, it is up to Israelis to see potential they have; I think our both countries have so much to learn from each other.

    “Israel has so much to learn from Nigerians and Nigeria too has so much to learn from Israel, my job is to help connect and think of different areas that can work.

    “If that will be in education, agriculture, water, in many different areas including the health sector. I will say to anybody in Nigerians, Local, State or the Federal Government or communities.

    “If there is something or anyways you want to work with Israel, we are happy to work with you as well, to build those bridges,” Michael said.

    He, however, allayed fears by people thinking that the Bible quiz completion would not continue, owing to COVID-19 pandemic to be wrong.

    “If the Bible quiz competition is re-established in Israel, after COVID-19 challenges, it will certainly be re-established in Nigeria, we will make sure we expand its scope within Nigeria,” he added.

    Nigeria-Israel diplomatic relations was established in 1960.

    NAN reports that since 1992 Israel and Nigeria have enjoyed a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship, with more than 50 Israeli companies investing in Nigerian construction, infrastructure, technology, communications and information technology, agriculture, and water management industries.

    A Memorandum of Interest (MOU) was signed between the Nigerian and Israeli Ministries of Foreign Affairs in 2006, formalizing bilaterial consultations on political issues.

    This MOU facilitated increased dialogue and cooperation between the two countries on issues of regional and international concern.

    Economic ties between Israel and Nigeria are promoted by the Nigerian-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and the Israel-Africa Chamber of Commerce.

  • Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with ‘hostile’ Morocco

    Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with ‘hostile’ Morocco

    Algeria’s Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said Tuesday that his country has severed diplomatic relations with Morocco due to “hostile actions”, following months of resurgent tensions between the North African rivals.

    The countries have long accused one another of backing opposition movements as proxies, with Algeria’s support for separatists in the disputed region of Western Sahara a particular bone of contention for Morocco.

    “Algeria has decided to cut diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco from today,” Lamamra announced during a press conference.

    “History has shown… Morocco has never stopped carrying out hostile actions against Algeria,” he added.

    There was no immediate reaction from Rabat to the announcement.

    Algiers’s move came following a review of bilateral relations announced last week as it alleged Rabat was complicit in deadly forest fires that ravaged the country’s north.

    Lamamra accused Morocco’s leaders of “responsibility for repeated crises” and behaviour that has “led to conflict instead of integration” in North Africa.

    Late last month, Morocco’s King Mohamed VI deplored the tensions between the two countries, and invited Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “to make wisdom prevail” and “to work in unison for the development of relations” between the two countries.

    But Algeria’s forest fires, which broke out on August 9 amid a blistering heatwave, burned tens of thousands of hectares of forest and killed at least 90 people, including more than 30 soldiers, further stoking tensions.

    While critics say Algerian authorities failed to prepare for the blazes, Tebboune declared most of the fires were of “criminal” origin.

    Algerian authorities have blamed the independence movement of the mainly Berber region of Kabylie extending along the Mediterranean coast east of the capital.

    Algiers has accused Rabat of backing the separatists.

    “The Moroccan provocation reached its climax when a Moroccan delegate to the United Nations demanded the independence of the people of the Kabylie region,” Lamamra said Tuesday.

    Last month, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Rabat for consultations after Morocco’s envoy to the United Nations, Omar Hilale, expressed support for self-determination in that region.

    At the time, Algeria’s foreign ministry said Morocco thus “publicly and explicitly supports an alleged right to self-determination of the Kabylie people”.

    Algerian authorities have also accused the Movement for Self-determination of Kabylie (MAK) of involvement in lynching a man falsely accused of arson during the recent forest fires, an incident that sparked outrage.

    Algeria last week accused Morocco of supporting the group, which it classifies as a “terrorist organisation”.