One month prior to this week’s military coup in Niger, the government was in talks with China on several economic projects—including the mining of uranium, of which Niger is one of the world’s major sources. How it relates to the unfolding coup remains to be seen, but it is a major deal for the country.
According to a July 6 story by Voice of America, Chinese Ambassador to Niger Jiang Feng said Beijing would build an industrial park that would include agriculture and food, manufacturing, mining, and real estate facilities, according to a tweet from Niger President Mohamed Bazoum’s official account. It said that the deal was a result of a China-Niger Investment Forum that took place this past April.
The tweet also mentioned that the Chinese ambassador recently visited the starting point of the Niger-Benin Export Pipeline, and described it as “very impressive.” With the China National Petroleum Corporation as the developer, the 2,000 km pipeline would allow landlocked Niger to increase its crude production and access international trade by way of a terminal on Benin’s coast, officials say.
