Niger's junta leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani signed a decree provisionally stripping exiled opposition leader Mariama Djibrine of her nationality [1].
This move signals an escalation in the military government's campaign to neutralize political rivals. By revoking citizenship, the junta increases the risk of statelessness for those linked to former President Bazoum, effectively isolating them from legal protections and diplomatic recourse.
The decree was signed on June 11, 2026 [1]. Djibrine is currently in exile, and the decision to revoke her nationality is viewed as part of a broader repression effort targeting opponents of the current military regime.
This is not the first time the junta has used this legal mechanism to target dissidents. In October 2024, the government stripped nine people of their nationality [2]. Such actions allow the state to sever the legal bond between the individual and the country, often leaving the target without a passport or the right to return home.
Human rights organizations have noted that these measures are designed to silence criticism from abroad. The provisional nature of the decree suggests a legal process that can be used as a tool of intimidation against the Nigerien diaspora and those supporting the ousted democratic administration.
“Niger's junta leader Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani signed a decree provisionally stripping exiled opposition leader Mariama Djibrine of her nationality.”
The revocation of citizenship for political opponents represents a shift from traditional detention to the creation of stateless persons. By stripping Mariama Djibrine of her nationality, the junta limits her ability to engage in international diplomacy and removes her legal standing to challenge the regime from within the Nigerien legal system, further consolidating power by erasing the legal identity of its critics.
