DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross announced the closure of its offices in Niger and the departure of its foreign staff, four months after the ruling junta ordered the organization to leave the country.
The ICRC confirmed the closure and departure in a statement on Thursday.
“We reiterate our willingness to maintain constructive dialogue with the authorities of Niger with a view to resuming our strictly humanitarian protection and assistance activities," Patrick Youssef, the ICRC’s regional director for Africa, said in the statement.
In February, Niger’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had ordered the ICRC to close its offices and leave the country. No official reason was given for the military junta’s decision to shut down the organization's operations in the country at the time.
The ICRC said it had been in dialogue with Niger's authorities since February to understand the reasons for their decision and provide any necessary clarification but that these efforts were unsuccessful.
On May 31, Niger’s junta leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, justified the ICRC expulsion on Nigerien state television, accusing the organization of having met with “terrorist leaders” and funding armed groups.
The ICRC refuted the accusations in its statement on Thursday, saying that dialogue with all sides in the conflict is necessary to carry out its humanitarian mandate and that it “never provides financial, logistical, or any other form of support" to armed groups.
The humanitarian organization had been active in the West African country since 1990, mainly helping people displaced by violence by Islamic extremists, food insecurity and natural disasters. According to the organization, it provided humanitarian aid to more than 2 million people in Niger.
Niger’s military rulers took power in a coup two years ago, the latest of several military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel, the vast, arid expanse south of the Sahara Desert that has become a hotspot for extremist violence by militant groups.
Since the coup, Niger has pulled away from its Western partners, such as France and the United States, turning instead to Russia for security.
Last November, the country's military junta banned the French aid group Acted from working in the country amid tensions with France.
FILE - Medical staff with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and South Sudan Red Cross, move a wounded patient to an ambulance in Akobo, South Sudan, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Joseph Falzetta, file)
ALTENBERG, Germany (AP) — Britain's Matt Weston is the World Cup men's skeleton overall champion, again. And for the first time, Belgium's Kim Meylemans is the World Cup women's overall champion.
Locking up their status as favorites for Olympic gold at next month's Milan Cortina Games, Weston and Meylemans clinched their seasonlong titles Friday in the final races of the World Cup season at Altenberg, Germany.
Meylemans was third in Friday's women's race, behind Germany's Jacqueline Pfeifer and Susanne Kreher. That was more than enough to ensure Meylemans would end the season ahead of Pfeifer — a three-time World Cup overall champion — in the season standings, and Britain's Tabitha Stoecker finished the season third.
Britain's Marcus Wyatt won Friday's men's race and Weston finished in a three-way tie for second with German teammates Christopher Grotheer and Axel Jungk.
Weston took the overall title with China's Zheng Yin second and Wyatt placing third.
The U.S. skeleton team won't formally announce its Olympic team until Monday, but Friday's finishes make it somewhat obvious that Kelly Curtis and Mystique Ro — the top two American women in the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation rankings — will be headed to the Milan Cortina Games.
Curtis was 17th on Friday, two spots ahead of U.S. teammate Sara Roderick and three spots ahead of Ro — who teamed with Austin Florian to win last year's world mixed skeleton championship. Florian also is a likely Olympic team nominee and was 14th in Friday's men's race.
USA Bobsled and Skeleton was waiting for word from the IBSF if it was getting a second men's Olympic quota spot as well.
Luge: World Cup men’s singles, women’s singles Saturday at Oberhof, Germany.
Bobsled: World Cup monobob, two-man races Saturday at Altenberg, Germany.
Skeleton: World Cup season complete, Olympic races at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy from Feb. 12-15.
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Kelly Curtis of the U.S. competes in the Women's Skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
Kelly Curtis of the U.S. reacts after placing second in the Women's Skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
Winner Matt Weston of Great Britain celebrates after the Men's Skeleton World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (Mayk Wendt/Keystone via AP)
Britain's Matt Weston races down the track, during the men's single, 1st run of the Skeleton World Cup, in Altenberg, Germany, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (Robert Michael/dpa via AP)
