https://en.sputniknews.africa/20230420/us-reportedly-pushes-niger-to-resume-ties-with-israel-1058721958.html
US Reportedly Pushes Niger to Resume Ties With Israel
US Reportedly Pushes Niger to Resume Ties With Israel
Sputnik Africa
During his recent visit to Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the country to normalize relations with Israel, media has reported, citing US and Israeli officials.
2023-04-20T13:40+0200
2023-04-20T13:40+0200
2023-04-20T13:40+0200
sub-saharan africa
west africa
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united states (us)
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During his recent visit to Niger, the top US diplomat urged the country to normalize relations with Israel, media has reported, citing US and Israeli officials. According to media reports, the issue was raised during a meeting with Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum. It was noted that the country agreed to mull the US' recommendation to normalize ties with Israel and even reestablish diplomatic relations. However, in return, the nation requested some incentives from the US. Blinken's visit to Niger was dubbed historic, as it was the first-ever visit by a US secretary of state to the nation, which has recently appeared to be a key US security partner in the Sahel region. Before the diplomat's tour to Africa, the US' Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee called Niger "one of the most important partners on the continent in terms of security cooperation," particularly in terms of countering armed groups in the area.Two weeks after his two-nation African tour, which apart from Niger encompassed Ethiopia, Blinken had a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, during which he updated the foreign minister on developments in talks with Niger. The media reported that Cohen, for his part, proposed inviting the West African nation to take part in the next ministerial meeting of the Negev Forum, which includes Israel, the US, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.The discussion on Israel during Blinken's visit to Niger, the media report said, was another sign that demonstrated the Biden administration's efforts to encourage more Arab and Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords, a series of joint normalization statements between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, mediated by the US. The report also recalled that the US' recent attempts to bring new participants into the Negev Forum, including several states from Africa, failed as none of them joined the January meeting of working groups in Abu Dhabi, the UAE. Niger currently has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The two countries enjoyed diplomatic ties during the period from 1960 to 1973. In 1996, they were renormalized after the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, but terminated by Niger in 2002 amid upticks in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Israel has recently started to normalize relations with several African nations in the Sahel region. In particular, the country resumed ties with Chad, embarked on a normalization process with Sudan, and reportedly held talks with Somalia on moving forward with warming bilateral ties between the nations.
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us secretary of state antony blinken, usa, niger, nigerien foreign minister hassoumi massoudou, israel, diplomatic relations
us secretary of state antony blinken, usa, niger, nigerien foreign minister hassoumi massoudou, israel, diplomatic relations
US Reportedly Pushes Niger to Resume Ties With Israel
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger on an official visit on March 16-17, aimed at enhancing cooperation with the West African nation in various fields of interest, including diplomacy, security and defense.
During his recent
visit to Niger, the top US diplomat urged the country to normalize relations with Israel, media has reported, citing US and Israeli officials.
According to media reports, the issue was raised during a meeting with Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum. It was noted that the country agreed to mull the US' recommendation to normalize ties with Israel and even reestablish diplomatic relations. However, in return, the nation requested some incentives from the US.
Blinken's visit to Niger was dubbed historic, as it was the first-ever visit by a US secretary of state to the nation, which has recently appeared to be a key US security partner in the Sahel region. Before the diplomat's tour to Africa, the US' Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee called Niger "one of the most important partners on the continent in terms of security cooperation," particularly in terms of countering armed groups in the area.
Two weeks after his two-nation African tour, which apart from Niger encompassed Ethiopia, Blinken had a phone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, during which he updated the foreign minister on developments in talks with Niger. The media reported that Cohen, for his part, proposed inviting the West African nation to take part in the next ministerial meeting of the Negev Forum, which includes Israel, the US, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The discussion on Israel during Blinken's visit to Niger, the media report said, was another sign that demonstrated the Biden administration's efforts to encourage more Arab and Muslim-majority countries to join the Abraham Accords, a series of joint normalization statements between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, mediated by the US.
The report also recalled that the US' recent attempts to bring new participants into the Negev Forum, including several states from Africa, failed as none of them joined the January meeting of working groups in Abu Dhabi, the UAE.
Niger currently has no formal diplomatic relations with Israel. The two countries enjoyed diplomatic ties during the period from 1960 to 1973. In 1996, they were renormalized after the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, but terminated by Niger in 2002 amid upticks in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel has recently started to normalize relations with several African nations in the Sahel region. In particular, the country resumed ties with Chad, embarked on a normalization process with
Sudan, and reportedly held talks with Somalia on moving forward with warming bilateral ties between the nations.
