FP This Week: What will happen next in Niger?

Plus, Stephen Walt on Beijing’s trajectory. AUGUST 8, 2023  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     Protesters wave Nigerien and Russian flags as they gather during a rally in support of Niger’s junta in Niamey, Niger, on July 30. AFP via Getty Images Niger’s coup leaders had one week to relinquish power and reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or else face military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). At midnight on Sunday, that deadline expired without Bazoum being reinstated. Now, Niger and its neighbors are preparing for possible war—and ECOWAS, which plans to hold a second emergency summit on Thursday, is questioning whether issuing its unprecedented threat was a smart idea to begin with. On Sunday, Niger’s junta government sent troop reinforcements to the capital, Niamey, and closed Niger’s airspace to brace for ECOWAS’s potential invasion. A senior U.S. diplomat held “frank and at times quite difficult” talks on Monday with junta leaders, who rejected calls to restore democracy. Our writers continue to track the latest developments. FP’s Jack Detsch, assessing the reaction from the road in East Africa, [described]( the situation’s descent into “a regional free-for-all.” Samuel Ramani [argues]( most global powers with a military presence or financial stake in the country stand to lose from instability—and that could put pressure on the military junta. FP’s Alexandra Sharp [examines]( ECOWAS, which has been divided by the debate over how to respond to Niger’s coup. And Emma Ashford and Matthew Kroenig [debate]( whether U.S. military training emboldens coup plotters across the African continent. [Sign up]( to receive our World Brief and Africa Brief newsletters to follow this developing story. And get all of FP’s Africa coverage directly in your inbox every week by setting up a [My FP]( alert.   New and Noteworthy - Here’s How Scared of China You Should Be: Is China’s economic future bright, dark, or somewhere in between? Is Xi Jinping another Mao Zedong or another Lee Kuan Yew? “I’m mostly frustrated that the community of serious China watchers hasn’t achieved more of a consensus” on these questions and three others, FP’s Stephen M. Walt writes in his new [column](, considering Beijing’s trajectory. “The answers to these questions would tell you a lot about how worried you should be.” - Soft Power Is Making a Hard Return: U.N. writer J. 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While per-capita income there has outpaced India and Pakistan and living standards have shot up, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed rules with an iron fist. “The United States is going to have to make some hard decisions about how it deals with Bangladesh’s democratic crisis—and the leadership’s ties to both China and India.”   FP Live Inside Biden’s New Tech PolicyAug. 9, 2023 | 11:00 a.m. EDTThe Biden administration’s National Security Strategy has called for an “allied techno-industrial base” to safeguard U.S. interests, security, and values. Key to the technological aspect of that strategy is the White House’s new Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, run by Ambassador-at-Large Nathaniel Fick. Fick joins FP’s Ravi Agrawal to discuss cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, tech diplomacy, and more. 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[Watch the conversation.](   Exercise Your Mind Ahead of a summit later this month, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that he supports more countries joining which international bloc? - G-20 - BRICS - Organization of American States - Inter-American Development Bank You can find the answer to this question at the end of this email. [Click here]( to take the rest of our weekly news quiz.   Expert voices, intelligent analysis. [Get FP access today](.   FP at UNGA 78: Secure Your Seat During next month’s U.N. General Assembly in New York, FP will bring together policymakers, experts, and thought leaders to discuss interconnected global issues. We will examine the future of global governance and opportunities to drive progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), offering a chance to engage with those working to build a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Learn more below, and [register here]( for all events: The [FP Health Forum]( will address global health issues, focusing on access, equity, and security. As member states meet to assess progress on their commitment to achieve universal health coverage by 2030, conversations will examine the current gaps, challenges, and opportunities to shape practical and effective solutions. Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m. 12:45 p.m. EDT, in person and online. [Food+]( brings together experts to explore strengthening food security amid complex global challenges, including fractured global supply chains, competition over water, deforestation, and climate change. Programming will explore collaborative approaches to fortify food systems around the world through more sustainable resource management and farming techniques, leveraging of climate and market data, and equitable and effective distribution, particularly to the most vulnerable. Sept. 20, 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT, in person and online. 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Also happening at UNGA: A [public briefing]( on how expanding access to quality diagnostics could help achieve the SDGs and a [conversation]( on the impacts of hybrid warfare, launching the Digital Front Lines [report]( by FP Analytics. And join us for a [live taping]( of FP’s Global Reboot podcast.   Most Popular on FP [Saudi women walk past a mural depicting Saudi King Salman (center), Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (left), and late King Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman (right), the founder of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at a park in the capital, Riyadh, on Jan. 16.]( [The Arab Gulf’s New Nationalism]( Ambitious leaders in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi are restructuring national identity to solidify their rule. 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By Jon Hoffman [NATO’s Northern Flank Has Too Many Weak Spots](Key alliance members are failing to uphold their obligations in the face of Moscow’s unflagging interest in the High North. By Alexander B. Gray [How Memory Survives in Putin’s Russia](Russia’s dictator controls its past. But can history that avoids politics live on? By Tanya Paperny [How Drugs Are Destroying the Amazon](In the world’s largest rainforest, cocaine and deforestation are increasingly linked. By Robert Muggah [Northern Ireland’s Unionists Are Fighting for Survival](A sense of betrayal by Westminster and lost status have fueled extremism and weakened commitment to peaceful power-sharing. By Dan Haverty   From Around FP - How Strengthening Women Strengthens Economies: This season of The Hidden Economics of Remarkable Women (HERO) [podcast]( has looked at how women are pushing back against legal, political, and cultural barriers to better themselves and their communities. 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Are you interested in learning more about FP Analytics’ cutting-edge research services, hosting an FP Virtual Dialogue event, or building a podcast with FP Studios? [Explore partnership opportunities](. Answer: B. BRICS. Lula’s call to expand BRICS could hint at his ambition to create a BRICS-specific currency to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar, as Christopher Sabatini [discussed]( last month. Go behind the headlines Gain access to FP's insightful articles and deep analysis, enabling you to stay informed and broaden your global outlook. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for the FP This Week newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Reach the [right online audience]( with us. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2023 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. 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