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Accepted Paper:
Religious Interventions in the Politico-Military Crisis in Niger: The Role of Religious Leaders.
Moussa Ibrahim
(Université André Salifou)
Bello Adamou Mahamadou
(Zentrum Moderner Orient)
This paper examines on the one hand, the perceptions of the crisis that Niger is going through by these three religious’ actors (Muslims, Christians, and Bori’s believers) and, on the other hand, their plans to support the military in power.
Paper long abstract:
Since July 26, 2023, Niger has been facing a politico-military crisis that has upset the constitutional order. In a quest for popular legitimacy, the military in power denounces the military agreements that bind Niger to France, the former colonial power. At the same time, they called on the population to make a patriotic "surge" to achieve the "total independence" of the country. This context has led to the mobilization of religious leaders (Salafists, Pentecostals and followers of local religions) who are trying to play their part through various actions. The interventions of minorities, especially the followers of local religions, have provoked the reaction of the Muslim faithful who take a dim view of the "awakening" of these minorities who are trying to assert themselves in a predominantly Muslim field. This paper examines, on the one hand, the perceptions of the crisis that the country is going through by these three religious actors and, on the other hand, their plans to support the military in power. Based on an analysis of primary and secondary data, it aims to account for the role of religious actors in crisis contexts. In this way, it attempts to answer the following questions: How do these three groups of actors interact in the "accompaniment" of the military in power? Doesn't the intervention of these actors reflect a desire for change in the place of religion in the state? How does the military deal with the involvement of these actors?