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The junta leader, who maintains a staunchly anti-Western stance and flaunts his closer ties with Tehran, simultaneously maintains discreet links with Tel Aviv and its ambassador to the region, whose credentials he has just approved.
Weakened by the advance of jihadist groups, the president is struggling to restore order within his armed forces while quietly opening a channel of communication with insurgents in a bid to ease pressure on the capital, Niamey.
Ruling party candidate for the election on 12 April, the finance minister has surrounded himself with a few close associates and a team under the control of the outgoing president Patrice Talon to lead his campaign. These are figures who would be part of his inner circle if he is elected.
The president's allies are unhappy with the removal of senior officials after a scandal swept through the administration involving the importation of substandard petroleum products. They view it as a double standard, as two ministers, also accused of being involved, remain in their positions.
The French major only managed to produce 156,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2025, a 37% decline over ten years. The commissioning of two new projects with a combined capacity of 60,000 barrels per day has not been able to reverse the trend.
The Czech arms industry flagship has threatened legal action against the South African firm after discovering it was using its military products without authorisation to conduct prospecting in Namibia. Comanche said this was simply a "misunderstanding" that has since been "clarified".
Rocked by allegations against its former boss, Charaf-Eddine Amara, who was remanded in custody in December 2025, the state-owned conglomerate is scaling back some of the projects it has launched in recent years, particularly in the maritime sector.
