Niger’s Tchiani Appoints EU-Sanctioned Pan-African Activist Nathalie Yamb As Special Advisor

Niger’s transitional president, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, has appointed Pan-African activist Nathalie Yamb as his Special Advisor, a move seen as a symbolic rebuke of European Union sanctions imposed on her recently.

The appointment comes after Yamb’s official visit to Niamey, where she was welcomed by members of Niger’s ruling National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland (CNSP).

Yamb, known for her fiery 2019 speech against neo-colonialism at the Russia-Africa Summit, has become one of the most vocal critics of Western influence on the continent.

On June 26, the Council of the European Union imposed sanctions against her, including a travel ban within the bloc and the freezing of her assets. Brussels accused her of “information manipulation” and alleged ties to Russian entities operating in Africa, charges she has strongly denied.

Her elevation to a senior advisory role underscores Niamey’s growing defiance of Western pressure. The EU has sought to curb Russia’s expanding influence in Africa by broadening its sanctions framework under Council Implementing Regulation 2025/1278. Still, Tchiani’s decision signals closer alignment with Pan-Africanist and anti-colonial voices.

Yamb dismissed the sanctions as an attempt to silence her, insisting instead that they serve as “an encouragement to move forward.”

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